


Push and Pull

by digginginyourheart



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band), Youngblood - 5 Seconds Of Summer (Album)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Anal, Anal Fingering, Anal Plug, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, M/M, Multi, OT4, Romantic Soulmates, Smut, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-10-01 23:57:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 31,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17253794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digginginyourheart/pseuds/digginginyourheart
Summary: Pretty basic ot4 5sos soulmate/college au. Michael and Luke have been friends for years and on Luke's 18th birthday find out that they're soulmates, but both also have two other sets of initials on their wrists. Calum and Ashton are also dating and each have three sets of initials on their wrists. They all meet at uni & shit happens. Very cute, much fluff, some smut, some angst.





	1. Prologue/Talk Fast

Calum's mom had always told him that soulmates were precious. God's birthday gift to all eighteen year olds. She always said that the gift of a soulmate was the gift of happiness and purpose. It sounded too good to be true in Calum's opinion.  
He could tell the story of how his parents met word for word how his mother told it. It was her favorite story to tell. His mother had just started a new job as a receptionist at a law firm. His father was a lawyer there and as soon as they’d introduced themselves and shaken hands they’d felt the tell tale tingling of their soulmate marks. They had each reached behind their left ears to touch their marks, locked eyes and knew they were destined to be. The older he got, the more sure he became that his mother had romanticized it for the sake of him and his sister, Mali Koa. It was definitely too good to be true.  
Calum almost went back on those thoughts when his best friend Ashton turned eighteen. He'd liked Ashton from the day they'd met. It was his first day of highschool and he was lost. Completely lost in a new school with no one to ask. And then around the corner came a gorgeous boy with a gorgeous laugh whose name was Ashton and who was two years older than him and seemed to sense that he needed help. And really, the more he thinks about it, he may have inherited romanticizing from his mother.  
Either way, they became fast friends and then, on Ashton's eighteenth birthday, Ashton had revealed that Calum was his soulmate. Well, one of his soulmates. One of the three sets of initials freshly inked on the inside of his right wrist.

Calum Hood was eighteen years old today. He woke up with his boyfriend Ashton snuggled into his side. He hesitated to look for his soulmate tattoo. As much as he knew Ashton loved him, and knew that he loved Ashton, he also knew that things could get quite complicated by whatever was (or wasn’t) on his wrist. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Ashton, but Ashton had always been worried by his three sets of initials. If Calum only had AI on his body, he would likely die quite a bit before Ashton and Ashton would move on to his other soulmates. Or there was a chance that Ashton would find his other soulmates and Calum would simply have to accept that however it worked out.  
Calum took Ashton's right hand and stroked his thumb over the letters printed on his wrist.  
'CH MC LH'  
He repeated those letters over and over in his head.  
CH for Calum Hood. MC and LH for why are you there?  
He felt Ashton's gaze and knew he'd woken up.  
"I love you." Calum whispers.  
"I love you more." Ashton counters.  
"Not possible."  
It's become their thing and he doesn't think he'll ever get sick of it. Ashton smiles fondly back at him.  
"Are you ready?" Ashton asks quietly after a moment of silence.  
Calum sighs.  
"As I'll ever be." He finally responds.  
He doesn't move for a minute though, not quite able to work up the courage. Ashton seems to sense this, always a step ahead, and reaches for Calum's right hand. He meets Calum's eyes for a moment before flipping it over and seeing a mark on the inside of his wrist.  
'AI LH MC’  
They both freeze as they stare at it and Calum gets a slight shiver as the AI tingles, signaling that Ashton really is his soulmate.  
Slowly, smiles creep onto both of their faces. They don't have any clue about the other letters and what they will bring in the future, but for now it doesn't matter. What does matter is that they love each other and have the marks to prove it and all of Calum’s darker thoughts may as well have never happened.  
And then Calum can't stand it anymore. He laughs and launches himself at Ashton, landing on top of him and pressing their lips together. He feels Ashton's smile against his own and knows he could happily spend the rest of his life just like this. Just with Ashton.

❖❖❖

Luke Hemmings wakes up on his 18th birthday to a loud knock on his bedroom door and his parents creeping in with a tray of food. He groans, trying to wake himself up fully as he slowly sits up.  
"Good morning," his mother says sweetly.  
"Thanks." He mumbles as his mother places the tray on his bedside table.  
“Happy birthday, champ! The big one-eight!”  
Luke chuckles and cringes slightly at his dad.  
"So I take it you haven't had a chance to find your soulmate's initials?" His mother questions.  
"Uh, no." He says, suddenly itching to see the inked letters, but it's something he kind of wants to do in private.  
His parents stare at him for a moment, but seem to understand.  
"Alright well, we'll be downstairs..." His dad says, pulling his mom up off the bed.  
"I'll be down." Luke replies non-commitally.  
As soon as the door is closed and he hears them walking down the hall, he jumps out of bed. He begins to throw his shirt off, but stops as he sees a dark smudge on the inside of his right wrist that definitely hadn’t been there the night before.  
'MC CH AI'  
He stares at it for a few moments trying to process the letters. Too many, he thinks. Three sets of initials marked boldly on the inside of his right wrist. MC CH AI.  
It's not completely unheard of to have more than one set of initials. Some people meet their second after their first soulmate has passed away. Sometimes people simply had two soulmates. Sometimes people had one soulmate who didn't love them back and one who did. But 3 sets of initials was very rare.  
And then his thoughts turn darker, as they tended to do. What if two of his soulmates didn't have his initials? What if he had to bear that rejection twice?  
He absently traces the letters on his wrist with his other hand. He knows deep down that he is overthinking it. Soulmate marks were there to help you find the person (or people) you were destined to be with. The person (or people) you loved the most. He had no reason to doubt the system. Still, he found a barely worn watch in a dresser drawer and promptly covered the offending letters. There was no way in hell he was going to let his mom gossip about that to her friends. There was no way in hell he was going to let people at school give him shit about it.

That night he goes out to celebrate, per his best friend Michael's request. Michael greets him enthusiastically with a big hug. They drink at a couple bars for his first legal drinks and then end up at a school mate’s house party. The music is as loud and thumping as you'd expect; the house crowded and smokey. It's a fun environment when you're already a bit tipsy. Luke lets himself go. He’s eighteen. He’s got three soulmates. And he really just wants to not worry about it.  
They stumble out drunk and high around three in the morning.  
"Alrighty Lukey, give me letters. I might know your soulmate."  
Luke laughs at his best friend’s drunken enthusiasm. Michael had turned 18 a few months ago and refused to show Luke his mark. 'AI' were the letters he'd given out and Luke for one could not come up with anything. Arthur Ingle?  
He contemplates picking one of the initials and saying he can't show it. It’s at that moment that he realizes he had AI as well. What if he would be in love with Michael's soulmate? He pushes the thought to the back of his head. Can't think about that now. But Michael is his best friend. He wouldn't care about multiple marks, would he? And besides, who else can he tell?  
He's not entirely sure he would've come to the same conclusion if he'd been sober.  
"Uh, I can show you. Just.... You won't judge me, will you?"  
"Lukey, what the fuck would I judge you for?"  
Luke laughs again, more a nervous, drunken tick than anything, before slipping off the watch and revealing the improbable three sets of initials. He takes a deep breath and looks down at his arm, hoping, wishing that maybe it had changed since that morning.  
Michael is silent, which is somewhat worrisome. Drunk Michael is talkative Michael. He quickly brings his wrist to his chest and looks down.  
"Yeah... I... Yeah." He mumbles, not knowing what to say.  
He finally looks up and locks eyes with Michael who still hasn’t said a word. He looks shocked, maybe awed? Which is better than weirded out at least.  
Finally Michael opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Then Michael reaches down to pull up the right sleeve of his hoodie and reveals his own three sets of initials.  
'LH AI CH'  
"I...my mark isn't in a private place." He says quietly, "I just...didn't think...didn't know...fuck I didn't think I'd be fucked up when this happened” at this he runs a hand through his hair and over his face and turns away for a moment, “...didn't really think this would happen…"  
"Holy shit Michael we're soulmates. Are we soulmates? I feel like it's...I feel something..." Luke gasps.  
"Yeah." Michael replies, still sounding more vulnerable than Luke's ever heard him.  
"You've known?" Luke asks, borderline accusingly.  
"I knew you were mine." Michael says somewhat defensively, somewhat desperately, hoping that Luke could read between the lines.  
He knew Luke was his soulmate, one of his soulmates, but he had no idea if he was Luke's. He'd been terrified. What if Luke only had one and hated him for having three? He'd locked himself in his room for as much of his birthday as possible before donning a sweater and making a plan to hide his soul mark. At least for now, his soul mark was on his inner thigh and read simply AI to anyone who asked.  
They stare unblinkingly at each other for a minute neither knowing what to say to someone who's been your best friend for 5 years and happens to be one of your three soulmates. And before he can really process what he's doing, Luke is reaching his hands out to cup Michael's face and pressing their lips together firmly.  
Michael kisses back after only a moment and slips his hands up to grasp Luke's hips. It feels stupidly magical. Sure, he’s heard romantic stories about soulmates finding each other, but he’d never imagined how right it would feel. He wants to just hold Luke forever.  
"Fuck." Michael mutters when they separate their lips and lean their foreheads together.  
He draws Luke closer by the waist and hugs him tightly.  
"Fuck," Luke repeats with a chuckle, sliding his arms around Michael's neck, "so who are AI and CH?"  
Michael chuckles.  
"I have no idea.”  
They laugh before kissing again and then making their way to Michael’s house for an impromptu sleepover. They try to be as quiet as possible as it’s now nearly four in the morning and Luke really doesn’t want to piss off his future in laws, but they’re drunk and giddy with excitement from finding out they’re soulmates so he’s not sure they’ve succeeded.  
At breakfast the next morning, they announce to Michael’s mom that they’re soulmates. She gives them a slightly confused look.  
“I thought Michael’s initials were A.I…”  
Michael freezes, having completely forgotten about that small lie he’d told his mom 8 months before. Luke looks at him reassuringly.  
“Mom… I have three soulmates.” he says, holding out his wrist.  
Luke pulls his arm out as well, showing her his marks. She’s shocked at first, but then her face settles into a calm smile.  
“Well, I’m very happy that you two are finally together.”


	2. If Walls Could Talk

Ashton decides to stay close to home for college so that he can be close to Calum. Calum insists that he should just go wherever would be best for him. Ashton says that wherever he's closest to Calum is best for him. Calum can't deny that that nearly makes him faint with giddyness and love. He might be in too deep.

Two years later Calum finally graduates high school. He gets an offer from a college a couple hours away. He insists that he'll stay with Ashton and go to the same school. Ashton insists he needs to take the better deal. Calum repeats Ashton's sentiment from two years ago. In the end, Ashton transfers schools and they find a tiny studio apartment near campus to live in.

University starts tomorrow, but to Calum it feels like it's already begun as he's had football training the last 3 weeks. He's on the couch under a fluffy blanket, freshly showered and clutching a mug of tea. Ashton's across the one room of their apartment cooking dinner and they've got music playing quietly in the background. It's almost too domestic, but Calum can't get enough of it.  
He pushes the blanket off his lap and carefully sets his cup on the coffee table. He walks quietly over to where Ashton is stirring something on the stove and snakes his arms around his waist. Ashton smiles and turns his head to place a gentle kiss on Calum's head. Calum presses quiet kisses to Ashton's neck in return.  
“What's up?” Ashton asks, the smile evident in his voice.  
Calum sighs contently.  
“Just happy,” he says.  
“Good.” Ashton murmurs.  
They stand like that for another minute, until Ashton steps away to do something else related to cooking dinner. Calum reaches up to grab plates from the cupboard.  
“You know what the only thing missing is?” Calum asks.  
Ashton smirks, having a feeling he knows what's coming.  
“A dog.” Calum confirms.  
“You know we can't get a dog right now.” Ashton says, still smiling.  
They've had this discussion what feels like a thousand times. Calum's only lucky that his love for dogs is one of the things Ashton adores about him.  
“I know, I know,” Calum mumbles, “but just imagine a Chihuahua running around our feet right now.”  
Ashton raises his eyebrows, “a Chihuahua, really?”  
“They'd be under the weight limit in this place!” Calum argues.  
Ashton chuckles. Calum would have it all planned out.  
“And then imagine when we get a bigger place a yellow lab sitting by the couch. Infinite cuddles Ashton!”  
“That's what I'm for!” Ashton retaliates, opening his arms.  
Calum giggles, “I need more than one cuddle buddy! What about when you're at work or at school? And you need someone when I'm at football.”  
They both chuckle. The argument is nothing serious.  
“Dinner’s ready.” Ashton announces.  
“Looks delicious, babe.” Calum says, smiling and pressing a kiss to Ashton's lips.  
They eat dinner on the couch; the small dining table they have already covered with books and pens and ready for intense study sessions. They watch Netflix later than they should before almost forgetting to set alarms and falling into bed wrapped in each other's arms.

❖❖❖

Three months after Luke's eighteenth birthday, he is lying in his bed in his dorm room. He was lucky enough to have his own room this year as his assigned roommate had cancelled last minute. Michael is cuddled next to him, eyes closed, on the verge of sleep. It’s 2am, but sleep isn't coming easily. It was an unfortunate side effect of the lifestyle he'd started living once he'd moved out.  
He rubbed at his wrist where six black letters stood out in stark black against his pale skin. He and Michael didn't talk about AI and CH, but Luke thought about them. Too much probably. He wondered if they were as confused as he and Michael had been. Did they know each other? Or were they alone with three strangers initials mysteriously inked on their wrists? Did they even have three sets of initials? What if they only had one? Or two sets of initials?  
On happier days, days he'd spent with Michael being grosely romantic together, he wondered what they were like. What their relationship would be like. He'd never told anyone, but he hoped with all his being that he and Michael and AI and CH could all be in a relationship together. He wanted to love them all, felt like he was meant to. Sure it was unorthodox, but nights where he lay in bed dreaming about cuddle piles and cooking together and always having someone around to hold, there was an undeniable part of him that felt like he would always be somehow incomplete without all of his soulmates. And then there were the more sexual thoughts, which, admittedly, were hotter than anything else.  
“You're thinking too much. You're supposed to be sleeping.” He hears Michael murmur, interrupting his thoughts.  
“Sorry.” Luke replies, smirking and turning his head to place a kiss on Michael's temple.  
“Whatcha thinkin about?” Michael asks a minute later.  
Luke sighs.  
“I was just… do you ever think about them?”  
“Who?”  
“Our...AI and CH?”  
Michael is quiet for a bit. Not sure what he wants to say, but ends up simply with “yeah.”  
“I think about them too much.”  
“What do you think about when you think about them?”  
There's another pause in the conversation.  
“I think...I want to love them. I want to love them and love you. I want to be with them and with you.”  
“Me too.” Michael says quietly.  
Finally Luke turns so that they're facing each other and wraps his fingers tightly around Michael's.  
“What if we never find them? What if...what if they don't want us? What if…”  
“What if we do? What if they do? You can’t dwell on it too much baby.”  
“I love you. So much.”  
“To the moon and back.”  
“To the moon and back.” Luke repeats.  
There's another lull in the conversation. Luke thinks Michael's drifting off again, but then he speaks up.  
“What do you think they're like?”  
“I dunno. Similar to us? Cute? Nice?”  
Michael swats his arm and laughs.  
“You're so boring.”  
“I know. Do you think they're girls?”  
“Fuck I hadn't even thought about that. I hope not.”  
Luke giggles, “me too.”

❖❖❖

Now that he’s in uni, Luke is studying more than he ever has in his life; he’d never had to work too hard to maintain decent grades in the past. At least he’s got Michael there with him for distractions. They find their way to a couple of parties and spend a few nights here and there scoping out local bars and clubs. And it didn’t take long at all for them to find the best pizza joint around. Overall, he feels like he’s settling into uni life quite well.  
Michael, on the other hand, is struggling more than he cares to admit. He can’t stay focused during lectures, it’s increasingly difficult for him to force himself to write his papers and he kind of just hates it. Hates how it’s making him feel. He can’t deny that he’s enjoying the night life though and his roommate is cool enough, though he spends a significant amount of nights in Luke’s room. He’s not entirely sure why he didn’t just move his stuff in there.  
They do however both share the same favorite thing about uni and that is the nights they get to spend together. When it’s just the two of them and Luke’s dorm room is locked. They’ll have music playing softly (or sometimes all together too loudly) and they’ll be cuddled up on the bed or lying on the floor together talking about their dreams or whatever. They’d already made it through all of the Harry Potter movies since moving to college and they’d begun on Star Wars.  
Tonight is the only night of the week that neither of them have work or other plans, so they are on their way to a bar. The night air is cool and Luke is glad he had the foresight to steal one of Michael’s hoodies. He pulls it tighter against him.  
“Cold?” Michael asks, smiling and wrapping an arm around his shoulders.  
Luke shivers dramatically, “freezing.”  
“It’s not even that cold.”  
Luke rolls his eyes.


	3. Meet You There Part 1

Luke's in his 10am Wednesday lecture. He's understanding about 5% of what's being taught and he's half asleep. He'd been smart enough to avoid 8ams, but he's starting to think he's more of evening class kind of guy. He rests his forehead against his notebook. Listening to the professor read a slideshow that’s not really helping him. He hears a shuffle and then the boy who was sitting at the end of the row is sitting next to him.  
He's not afraid to admit that the guy is cute out of the corner of his eye. Dark hair that curls over his forehead, smooth tan skin, a strong jaw.  
“You getting any of this?” The boy whispers.  
Luke lifts his head up and rests it on his hands.  
“I'm completely and utterly lost.” Luke whispers back.  
The guy chuckles softly.  
“Same. I was hoping maybe you were sleeping cause you know all of this and could help me out.”  
“Yeah, definitely not that guy.” Luke says, smiling.  
“Noted. I'm Calum by the way.” The dark hair boy says, reaching a hand out towards Luke.  
Luke sits up fully and shakes his hand.  
“Luke.”  
Neither of them admit the soft itch they feel on their wrists when their hands and eyes meet.  
“We should study together sometime.” Calum says.  
“Yeah, maybe together we'll be able to sort some of this out.”  
They both chuckle and then turn back to the professor despite feeling like it’s the most useless thing in the world. Luke pulls out his phone a minute later and texts Michael 'i think i just met ch’ Michael responds almost immediately. 'HOLY SHIT TELL ME MORE’ and shortly after 'also you “think”???’  
Luke chuckles and decides this might be a conversation better had in person. He does regret not texting Michael back when he checks his phone after class. 10 texts and 2 missed calls.  
'LUKE’  
'answer me’  
'please’  
'i know you're in class but you just texted me’  
'luke i need to know’  
'what is he like???’  
'is he cute?’  
'goddamnit’  
'i hate you'  
'call me when you’re done with class'  
Luke chuckles and simply texts 'lets talk later. campus Starbucks 4pm?’

❖❖❖

When Luke walks up to the coffee shop at 4:05 that afternoon, Michael is already walking out towards him clutching two coffees.  
“Talk to me.” he says, handing Luke his usual order.  
They start to walk.  
“There’s not a whole lot to say. His name is Calum. He's in my bio lecture. He sat by me today and we talked and I felt the same kind of prickle over my soul mark as when we talked or whatever on my birthday.”  
Michael is cursing Luke’s tendency to simplify things. He needs details for fucks sake.  
“Okay, but you said you think. Do you know or do you think?”  
“I mean I’m pretty positive he’s CH, but I didn't get his last name and he didn't say anything so I don’t know. Maybe not, or maybe I’m not his.”  
“Well, you didn't say anything either.” Michael points out.  
“I know, I know.”  
“I’m sure it’ll work out.” Michael says, pulling him into a half hug.  
“Yeah. We're getting coffee on Saturday.”  
“You should just let him see your mark then, if he's got three sets of initials or...or even two initials, I'm sure he'll say something.”  
Luke punches Michael's arm gently, “you're such a dork, scheming up ways to find our soulmates.”  
“It’s the best solution! I’m so fucking excited!” Michael says, skipping a bit.  
Luke giggles; Michael's near constant enthusiasm and optimism is something he has always admired and adored about him.  
Michael laughs. “Alright, now you've got to tell me about him. What color is his hair? Is he tall? When am I meeting him?”  
Luke laughs and joins their hands together as he starts to answer Michael’s questions as best he can.

Little did the two know that Calum and Ashton were having a fairly similar conversation in their apartment while making mac n cheese for dinner.  
“He's really cute Ash. He’s got these big blue eyes and his hair looks really soft. Plus he's funny AND he was wearing a Green Day shirt! So that's a great start. I really hope we're soulmates.”  
They hadn't discussed their other soulmates joining their relationship, but it felt natural and Ashton didn't say anything about it. He thought he could come around to the idea of it.  
“Me too.” Ashton says quietly.  
He feels like he should be jealous of his boyfriend gushing over another man, but he can't find it in himself to be upset. Maybe if they find their other soulmates he won’t feel so insecure about the marks on his wrist.  
“Love you, Ash.” Calum says, walking over where Ashton’s leaning against the counter and pulling him into a hug.  
“I love you more.”  
“Not possible.” They say in unison, Ashton giggling as he mocks Calum.

❖❖❖

That Saturday Calum and Luke meet at cute, little local coffee house.They find a table in the corner and pull out their books.  
“I like your sweatshirt. I love blink.” Luke comments as they sit down.  
“Thanks.” Calum says, “I meant to say something about your Green Day shirt the other day.”  
Luke chuckles. Thank goodness they like some of the same music, he could use a break from Michael’s ramblings about bands. Not that he hates them, but he’s known Michael since they were thirteen so he’s heard most of his hot takes repeatedly.  
They study mostly in silence despite what they'd said the other day about helping each other.  
After about 20 minutes, Luke finally speaks up.  
“Did you get anything out of chapter 3? The stuff about meiosis and mitosis?”  
“Uh...not really.” Calum says, “but I think there's a worksheet the Prof handed out last week, let me see.”  
He digs in his backpack for a minute before triumphantly pulling out a slightly crumpled page.  
They work on that together and manage to make a bit more sense out of the subject. Luke leans back and yawns before pulling off his sweater. He doesn't think about how his soulmate mark will be exposed before it's halfway off and he supposes there's no going back now. Hopefully Michael knew what he was talking about.  
He throws the sweater over the back of his chair and goes back to the biology textbook. Calum's already reading the next chapter, not paying him any mind. They read in silence for a while, each making occasional notes. Then Calum breaks the silence.  
“Okay, I'm confused. What fucking picture is paragraph three on page ninety four talking about?”  
Luke flips to the page and looks it over.  
“Ummm...oh it's the one above paragraph one, on the left.”  
He takes a breath, then thinks fuck it and extends his right hand to point to the picture in Calum's book. His wrist is still facing down, so there's a chance Calum won't even notice. Then he feels a hand gently take his wrist as he’s pulling away. He freezes as they make eye contact. Calum turns his arm over.  
“Oh my gosh.” Calum whispers.  
Luke can't read his tone and abruptly yanks his hand back.  
“I-I know it's weird. I-”  
“No, no it's not, well I mean it kind of is, but-”  
Oh no. Luke thinks. This is it. The rejection he's been expecting. Maybe he imagined the feeling in his mark.  
But then Calum is lifting the sleeve of his sweatshirt and turning over his own wrist and Luke can't believe his eyes.  
'AI LH MC’  
“Oh my gosh.” He says, mimicking Calum.  
Calum smiles.  
“I think we're soulmates.” Calum says.  
“I think we are too.” Luke says, reaching his arm back out to see their marks together.  
'AI LH MC’  
'MC CH AI’  
“Calum Hood.” Calum says abruptly, breaking the awed silence.  
Luke looks up and meets Calum's eyes.  
“Luke Hemmings.”  
There's another brief silence and then Calum's breaking it again.  
“I have a boyfriend. Ashton Irwin, he’s the A.I.”  
“Me too.” Luke responds, “M.C., Michael Clifford.”  
They both smile. Then Luke frowns, worried.  
“Does… does he have three marks too? Is it...are they…?”  
“Yeah, yeah. CH MC LH.” Calum assures, “does Michael?”  
Luke nods, “LH AI CH.”  
“Wow.” Calum says.  
There's a tear threatening to spill from Luke's eye. He blinks and dabs at it because it's stupid and he doesn't want Calum to think he's that sappy, but of course Calum knows immediately.  
“Hey, hey what's wrong?” He says softly, moving to hold Luke's hand on the table.  
Luke shakes his head. “Nothing, nothing's wrong. I- it's stupid, I just...I never really let myself believe it would work out, especially this quickly. Lots of people don’t meet their soulmates until they’re in their twenties or thirties... I hoped, but I didn't... I mean, not that it's completely worked out, I haven't even met Ashton yet, he could be an asshole. I mean, shit that was rude, I'm sure he's not...fuck I'm rambling, I'm sorry.”  
“Shhh, hey. It's okay. I know how you feel, you don't need to apologize.”  
Calum knows right then and there that he is completely head over heels for Luke.  
He lets go of Luke's hand and stands up, extending his arms for a hug. Luke immediately stands and wraps his arms around Calum. They stand like that for a couple minutes, neither bothering to think about anyone around them.  
Then they both sit back down chuckling softly and smiling.  
“Fuck.” Luke says through a smile, wiping the final tears off his face.  
Calum laughs.

Michael picks Luke up and spins him around when he tells him that he knows the names of their two other soulmates.  
“This calls for a celebration.” Michael announces.  
Luke laughs.  
“Well, where are we going then?”


	4. Meet You There Part 2

Calum wakes up to Ashton shaking him gently. He’s pleasantly surprised to see Ashton still shirtless and under the covers as usually he gets up absurdly early for runs or last minute study sessions. Calum groans and throws an arm over Ashton in an attempt to snuggle him closer. Ashton presses a kiss to his cheek.  
“Not up yet?” Calum teases.  
“You were too tempting this morning.” Ashton murmurs.  
“Oh yeah?”  
Calum feels Ashton snuggle impossibly closer and presses a loving kiss to his shoulder. He uses the hand that had been trapped between them to tilt Ashton’s chin up for a gentle kiss.  
“You've gotta get up babe.” Ashton whispers as their lips separate.  
Calum groans.  
“No I don't.”  
Ashton lets out a soft chuckle and lands a kiss Calum's forehead before pulling away and sitting up. He yawns and rubs his eyes and sighs before pushing the blanket off his lap. Calum reaches up, grabs his arm and leans up for a last kiss. Ashton smiles and willingly gives in, but pulls away before they can get too carried away. He walks over to the bathroom, still struggling to fully wake up.  
Calum joins him as he's brushing his teeth and pulls out his own toothbrush. They share a smile in the mirror. Neither of them have completely gotten over the novelty of the domestic bliss they've enjoyed over the past two months. Calum slips out of the bathroom and goes to the closet to find jeans and a tee shirt suitable for class.  
He's just about to throw a shirt over his head when he feels Ashton's hands come around his waist and his lips against his neck. He lets out a soft laugh.  
“Ashton. I have to go.”  
“I know,” he mumbles as he kisses Calum’s shoulder, “just reminding you of what you're leaving behind.”  
“You're an asshole.” Calum mutters teasingly, pulling away and putting his shirt on.  
He ruffles Ashton's hair, making the boy smile, and then presses their lips together once more.  
“I get off work at five, spaghetti sound good?” Ashton asks as Calum grabs what he needs.  
“Sounds perfect.” Calum responds, blowing him a kiss as he walks out the door.

❖❖❖

Michael is in his favorite record shop. He'd found the place within a month of moving to university and he is so glad he did. It's tiny, but somehow packs in more product than you'd think possible. The walls and ceilings are covered in diverse band posters and the door and windows frequently have a wide array of venue advertisements. He's become a frequent customer and knows a couple of the employees by name.  
Today he is flipping through the discount crate just because he's got time. There's a guy at the counter trying to sort out the constant clutter covering the surface. He doesn't know him, but he's sure he's seen him around; working in the back or leaving his shift. They'd exchanged hellos when he'd arrived and then just let the music fill the space in the air. It was early in the afternoon on a Tuesday so the shop was empty.  
“Looking for anything in particular?” The boy at the counter asks out of the blue.  
He'd finally stopped messing with the business cards and invoices and pens littering the counter.  
Michael shrugs as he looks over at the boy. He's handsome, long curly hair held back with a bandana, pretty eyes, soft skin, long lashes.   
“Not really, just bored. I like hanging out here.”  
The boy nods. “We just got a new Queen limited edition in.”  
“Oh yeah?” Michael asks. He likes Queen, but doesn't necessarily need to buy any more fancy vinyls. The guy looks like he's excited about it though and seems nice, so he feels the need to act interested.  
“Yeah.” The guy says, standing up and walking towards a corner of the shop.  
Michael follows him.  
“It's really nice, I'd get it if I had the cash.”  
Michael smiles, “I feel you.”  
Ashton pulls it out to show it off. It’s a nice looking vinyl. He takes it from Ashton and flips it over to see the track list. It's a good one and he says so.  
Ashton grins. Michael is a little star struck by the man’s beautiful smile.  
“Uh, well, I'd better be heading out, I've got class, but, uh, I'll buy this.” Michael says after a minute.  
The guy nods and makes his way back to the counter. He rings it up and bags it and goes to hand it to Michael, but he steps back.  
“It's, uh, I bought it for you.” Michael says.  
The boy looks shocked. “What? No! I can't...you can’t... you have to take it.”  
“I think you'll enjoy it more than I will.”  
“We don't even know each other.”  
“I'm Michael.”  
“Ashton.” The curly haired boy says.  
They both freeze.  
Michael tries to see Ashton's wrist, but it's covered in colorful plastic bracelets.  
“Are you...this is weird, but is your last name Irwin?”  
“Yeah...Clifford?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Holy shit.”  
“Holy shit.” Michael repeats, “we're soulmates.”  
“Yeah. Oh my god I'm glad I met you, now Calum and I are even, we each met one of you first.”  
Michael can't help but laugh.  
“Yeah, I guess Luke and I are too.”  
They smile at each other for a minute.  
“Well, I gotta go, but we should hang out sometime.”  
“Alright, now seriously take this record you just bought. I'm sure I can steal it from you sometime now that we know we'll be seeing each other or whatever.”  
“No, no. I bought it for you. I'll steal it back if I want it.” Michael says, walking towards the door and throwing him a wink.  
He hears Ashton sigh, but a glance back tells him he’s smiling. He blows a kiss just to be cheeky.

He gets a text from Ashton in the middle of his class.  
'its ashton. Got ur # thru the grapevine ;)’  
He texts back simply 'hi :)’ and puts the contact in as 'Ashy’  
He knows it's ridiculous to already have a nickname picked out and he's got a feeling Ashton will hate it. Still, it feels right and he's smiling as he types it in.  
He then texts Luke to let him know he met Ashton and to ask for Calum's number  
He creates a group chat as soon as Luke responds. They're definitely going to need a group chat.  
'so when are we all meeting?’ he sends, then tucks his phone away for the rest of class.

Luke snickers as he reads Michael’s text in the newly created group chat. He and Calum are sitting in the library, once again trying to understand enough biology to get through the course.  
“Is that Michael?” Calum asks, reading the text on his phone.  
“It sure is.” Luke says, smiling, “he's been wanting to meet you since the day we met.”  
“You knew then, didn't you?” Calum asks suddenly, “knew we were soulmates when we shook hands in class?”  
“Yeah. Well, I was pretty sure anyway. Couldn't think of how to get your last name without being weird and you didn't say anything so…”  
“You didn't say anything either.” Calum says quietly.  
“That's what Michael said when I told him.” Luke replies, smiling and rolling his eyes.  
Calum smiles back at him. “I knew too. Or was pretty sure, anyway.”  
They go back to work for a while and then Luke speaks up.  
“I'm really glad I met you. I didn't know if I ever would and I-I was scared that you wouldn’t have three marks and would hate me for it or whatever...but, but I really like you and I know we haven't known each other for very long and we haven't met each other's boyfriends yet, but I really like you. And...well...well I'm going to stop rambling now. Sorry.”  
Calum looks at him for a moment, the reaches across the table to tilt Luke's jaw up. He leans across the table and presses their lips firmly together.  
“Don't apologize for your rambles. I like your rambles. I'm really glad we met too.”  
Then he sits back down and removes his hand from Luke's face.  
They smile goofily at each other for a moment and then go back to their work.  
“Shit, we never texted Michael back.” Luke says suddenly, pulling his phone out.  
“Hopefully Ashton did.” Calum says, pulling his phone out as well.  
Luke giggles. “Just text back 'soon’”  
“What?” Calum asks, looking up at him.  
“Just text 'soon’ it'll drive him crazy and be hilarious.”  
Calum laughs.  
“Okay, but you have to tell him it was you so he doesn't hate me.”  
“Deal.”  
Luke texts back with 'soon’ a few minutes after Calum.  
A few minutes later Ashton texts back 'soon’ as well. Luke's not sure if he'd gotten the joke or if Calum had given him a heads up.  
Michael texts back 20 minutes later with 'you guys are assholes’ then, a minute later, 'why oh why are these idiots my soulmates’  
Luke and Calum share a laugh. Neither comment on how good it feels to all be joined together like that even though they don't all know each other and should probably talk about what's going to happen between them.  
Then Luke texts back 'sorry babe, it was all me. love you.’  
Calum texts back 'whens everyone free?’  
It turns out to be a bit complicated finding a time that works well for everyone. Between their four work and school schedules, plus Calum's football and Luke's upcoming trip home to visit family for the weekend, they decide on the next Friday at 10pm.


	5. Meet You There Part 3

It's a drizzly Friday afternoon. Michael is teaching guitar and Luke is suffering through the cold rain to get some groceries and new guitar picks for both of them as they seem to constantly be losing them and stealing each other's.  
He goes to the music store first as he knows that his friend Jack is working. They talk for a few minutes about gigs they've been to recently and music they’ve been listening to and the new singer in Jack’s band. Jack asks if Luke's been doing any more open mics, Luke explains that he's been too busy with school. Then another customer comes in and Luke makes his way over to the guitars, picking up ones that take his fancy. He's just moving over to the acoustic guitar section when Jack calls him back over to the desk.  
“Luke! This is my friend Ashton Irwin. He's killer on drums, so if you ever need anybody to back you up… anyway, Ashton, this is Luke Hemmings.”  
Luke hasn't been paying attention to what Jack has been saying since the words 'Ashton Irwin' had left his mouth. Ashton looks similarly shocked when he hears Luke's name.  
“Luke Hemmings.” Ashton repeats, somewhat breathlessly, eyes wide.  
Jack is looking between the two with a mixture of confusion and amusement in his eyes.  
Luke abruptly puts his hand out.  
“Pleasure to meet you, Ashton Irwin.”  
Ashton shakes his hand.   
“The pleasure is all mine.”  
“Am I missing something?” Jack interrupts.  
Luke turns to Jack, then glances over at Ashton who gives him a slight nod.  
“We're, uh, we're soulmates.” Luke stammers out.  
He’s hoping that the nod meant what he thought it meant. He has no idea what else it would be really, but it’s nice that they already seem to be able to communicate so easily.  
Jack throws a fist in the air.  
“Fuck yeah! I've always wanted to be the reason soulmates found each other!”  
Luke and Ashton both chuckle at his enthusiasm, but then Jack’s smile drops and he looks confused.  
“But… I thought Michael was your soulmate? And Calum…?”  
“Yeah, yes...we’re… the four of us are all soulmates.” Ashton says.  
Luke holds out his wrist to show Jack his marks and Ashton abruptly does the same  
“Wow...okay. Well, I am going to go work in the stock room while you two...talk.” Jack says a moment later, heading to the back, “just do me a favor and let me know if anyone comes in.”  
They both chuckle awkwardly and nod.  
“So...come here often?” Luke asks with a giggle.  
Ashton laughs.  
“Probably too often.” He says, holding up some drumsticks, “I'm constantly breaking these.”  
Luke chuckles and scans the front of the counter where the bags of guitar picks are hanging. He picks up the ones he and Michael like best and holds them up.  
“Michael and I are constantly losing these.”   
Ashton gives out another laugh and Luke decides to make it his goal to get this boy to laugh as much as possible. It’s so different from Michael’s, but he loves it just as much.  
They talk about music for a while and walk around the shop looking at different instruments. Luke plays him something on the guitar he's been lusting after for months. Ashton plays Luke something on the drum kit the store has set up. It's fun and Luke finds that for some reason he's hardly nervous the entire time. He's not sure if it's because Calum has already practically talked his ear off about Ashton or if he has some kind of calming energy emanating from him. Luke wouldn't be surprised if it's the latter (based, of course, on Calum’s words).  
“So what are you doing now?” Ashton asks when there's a lull in the conversation.  
“Well, I'm supposed to be picking up some groceries for Mikey and me.”  
“Let me come with you.” Ashton says with a smile.  
Luke can't help but say yes, though he's slightly embarrassed by their grocery list. They are uni students living in dorms after all.  
Ashton insists on paying for the guitar picks when they get Jack from the back to check them out. Luke can't help but think Calum was right about Ashton being a very good boyfriend. Not that he and Ashton are dating, though he wishes they were.

❖❖❖

“Oh, thank goodness you got the picks, I think I dropped my last one in my guitar class earlier.” Michael says, spying them as he drops his bag next to Luke’s desk later that day.  
“Courtesy of one Ashton Irwin.” Luke replies, smiling from where he’s lying on his bed, reading, “he helped me out with the groceries too. Quite chivalrous.”   
Michael gasps, “I can not believe that Calum and I are the last to meet.”  
Luke giggles, “best for last?”  
“Are you saying I’m not your favorite?” Michael asks in a mock offended tone as he reaches a hand out to tickle Luke’s side.  
“I don’t...I don’t have favorites.” Luke manages between giggles.  
Michael laughs too and gives up on his tickle attack before plopping down beside Luke on the tiny dorm bed.  
“Good.”  
They lie squished together on their backs for a while. It’s nice, Luke thinks, how comfortable they are together. He never feels the need to impress Michael or hide parts of himself. Michael knows him better than anyone else in the world. Better even than his mother he thinks. He wonders if one day he will feel the same about Calum and Ashton.  
He feels Michael’s hand link with his own and smiles.  
“What are we gonna do tonight?” Michael asks playfully.  
“Well...you could take me out for dinner?”  
Michael laughs. “You could take me out.”  
Luke pouts. “But you love me.”  
“That I do. Pizza sound good?”  
“Pizza always sounds good.”

❖❖❖

“We are getting an apartment next year.” Michael announces while they’re eating pepperoni pizza.  
“Okay.” Luke says simply. He’s not sure where it’s coming from, but he is completely on board.  
“You are so lucky you managed to get your own room, my roommate is driving me crazy.”  
“You practically live in my room anyway.” Luke replies with a smile.  
“Yeah, but I’ve walked in on him naked like ten times in the past month!”  
“And how many times have you seen me naked?” Luke asks, raising an eyebrow jokingly.  
“You know that’s different. I can never complain to you, you’re the worst boyfriend ever.” Michael pouts, though Luke can tell he’s joking by the way his eyes scrunch together.  
Luke smiles and holds back a laugh. He figures he should maybe be a little nicer to his boyfriend, but this is more fun.

❖❖❖

Michael wakes up the next morning with a strong compulsion to dye his hair and when Michael decides he wants to do something, well, he does it. He reaches over to shake luke awake.  
“Luke, Lukey, wake up.”  
Luke groans and turns towards Michael, but keeps his eyes closed.  
“Why?” he mumbles.  
“Want you to come pick out hair dye with me.”  
“Can’t it wait, like, two hours?”  
“No. Get up or I’m dying it the worst color I can find.”  
Luke blinks his eyes open.  
“I feel like you would suffer more for that than I would.”  
“Yeah, but you’d have to walk around calling a dude with shit hair your boyfriend.”  
“I already do.”  
Michael picks up his pillow and starts to hit Luke repeatedly with it. Luke brings his arms up to protect his face, laughing. Michael eventually gives up when they’re both nearly crying laughing.  
“I’m sorry.” Luke says, still smiling.  
“Well now you’re awake, come shopping with me.”  
“Alright, alright.” Luke says, yawning and sitting up.

They end up with red, one of Luke’s favorite colors on Michael, and head back to the dorms. The dorm bathrooms aren’t necessarily ideal, they get some strange looks, but they make the best of it. Michael takes random snapchat update videos to pass the time and Luke tells him some new dad jokes he’s found. The dye ends up splattered just about everywhere, Luke just hopes the janitors won’t be too mad.


	6. Meet You There Part 4

“Calum, I swear to god! Get up! You're going to be late.” Ashton calls from the bathroom.  
Calum is still tucked under the covers despite the fact that he has to leave for class in ten minutes.  
“Don't wanna go.” He mutters.  
He'd been up until 3am working on an essay and five and a half hours of sleep was not nearly enough to keep him going. He knows he really needs to get used to not sleeping, seeing as he is attending university, but his bed feels so nice...  
Ashton walks over and leans down to press a kiss to Calum's cheek.  
“I know you were up late last night, baby, but you've got to go to class. Come on, up, up, up!” He says, placing kisses on Calum’s nose, forehead and temples.  
Ashton pulls on Calum's hands and Calum finally gives in, sitting up and giggling. Ashton gives him one last peck on the cheek.  
“I'll grab you some clothes while you brush your teeth.”  
“You're too good to me.” Calum calls as he makes his way to the bathroom, yawning.  
“I know.” Ashton replies with a smile.  
12 minutes later, Calum is throwing his backpack over his shoulder and pecking Ashton's lips as Ashton hands him an apple and his keys.  
“Love you.” He calls as he walks out the door.  
“Love you more!” Ashton calls down the hall.  
Calum smiles and shakes his head as Ashton closes the apartment door before Calum has a chance to reply. He hurries down the apartment steps and breezes through the entrance. Luckily this is one of his closest classes, but he's still definitely speed walking to try to make it.  
He rubs the apple on his sweater as he walks and just as he's about to take a bite runs directly into someone. They both yelp, clearly caught off guard. Calum looks up and sees a boy about his age with bright red hair sticking up every which way. He immediately feels a buzz on his wrist. Fuck. He is not meeting his last soulmate after spending all of five minutes getting ready.  
“I am so sorry!” The red head gasps, “I was just texting my boyfriend, I wasn't paying any attention, oh my god.”  
“No, no. Don't apologize. I wasn't paying any attention either... and I probably shouldn't hold a grudge against my soulmate.” Calum says, grinning.  
Michael smiles. “Oh thank god I didn't imagine it. Every time…”  
Calum laughs.  
“My name's Calum, it's good to meet you.” He sticks out his hand for a shake.  
“Michael, the pleasure is all mine.”  
“Uh, I hate to cut this short, but I am really running late for class and Ashton might kick my ass if I skip so…”  
Michael laughs again.  
“I actually am too, but I'll see you around.”  
Half an hour later, Michael sends out a text in the groupchat. 'well now we've all met…’  
Ashton and Luke both text back promptly.  
'Calum do not tell me you skipped class today’  
'WHAT’  
Michael giggles as he reads them, earning a couple of looks from near by class mates. He figures he should let Calum reply next.  
In hindsight maybe he shouldn't have waited because Calum takes an hour and half to respond with 'no Ashton I did not skip class’.  
Michael follows it up with ‘he ran into me cause he was in such a hurry to get there’  
Calum texts back immediately this time.  
'oh i ran into u? Pretty sure it was u apologizing cause u had to txt ur bf’  
'thought we weren't holding grudges’  
Michael's glad he's not in class anymore because he's definitely giggling at his phone as he sits on a bench waiting for the bus.

❖❖❖

Ashton and Michael go to Calum’s football practice together the next evening. The championship finals are coming up and they don’t have anywhere else to be. Plus, the weather is warming up, so it’s not too awful to sit out on the bleachers. Luke is unfortunately stuck at work, but Michael is looking forward to spending some time with Ashton and seeing footy star Cal in action.  
They take their seats towards the back of the bleachers, despite the fact that they’re nearly empty. Ashton says it’s so they can talk without being distracting.  
Michael had liked Ashton when they first met, his adorable smile, his infectious excitement; but now that they were actually talking, he really likes him. He’s funny and kind and incredibly smart and it makes him like Calum too. Ashton talks about him like he’s the center of the universe, finds a way to bring Calum into their conversation with every topic and each time his eyes light up. It almost makes Michael doubt that he and Luke could ever be privy to their relationship, but he knows he's just as bad with Luke. And somehow, despite their animated conversation, Ashton still manages to cheer obnoxiously every time Calum makes a goal. Michael’s not entirely sure how that’s not distracting and he can see Calum’s face heating up all the way across the field as he glances up at them.  
As the practice finishes, Ashton and Michael make their way down the bleachers, towards the field and Calum jogs up. He’s out of breath, covered in a sheen of sweat and his curls are a mess, but he still manages to look incredibly hot. Michael bites his lip. He should probably not be lusting so hard over someone he’s barely met.  
Ashton and Calum kiss hello and then Calum turns to Michael with a smile.  
“Hey, thanks for coming… and thanks for not being quite as obnoxious as Ash.” Calum says, shoving Ashton lightly and blushing.  
Michael laughs.  
“You know you love it.” Ashton says, sticking his tongue out childishly  
“Well, I’m gonna go shower… did you want to do anything after?” Calum asks Michael.  
Michael shakes his head and sticks his hands in his pockets, “nah, I’d better go. Luke might be jealous if he finds out I’ve hung out with the two of you without him.” he jokes.  
They both laugh and then the three of them say their goodbyes. Michael takes the long way back to the dorms. He doesn’t know how he’s developed feelings for Calum and Ashton so quickly and honestly, it’s scaring him. Sure they were his soulmates and it wasn’t like he loved them as much he loved Luke (yet), but he couldn’t let go of the fact that he’d just met them. He’d hardly had a conversation with Calum. And what was he going to do if they just wanted to be friends? He had a cousin who’d decided to be best friends with her soulmate. And, sure, he’d be fine with just Luke. He loved Luke. He also knew that he and Luke would both have a bit of healing to do and how would they explain that to their soulmates?  
He sighed, realizing he was completely over thinking things. He supposes he could talk it over with Luke later that night. Luke will probably say he’s being dumb.  
He does. He also says that if Calum and Ashton don’t immediately want to date them, that they’ll just have to seduce them.

❖❖❖

“He’s so great, Cal.” Ashton gushes that night.  
They’re sitting on the couch eating spaghetti in their sweats, Calum’s feet propped up on Ashton’s lap.  
“And, oh my god, his hair! It was not red when I met him and holy fuck it’s so hot.”  
“It is. What color was it when you met him?”  
“Blonde. That was nice too, but the red makes me want to, like, play with it more.”  
“Like pull on it?” Calum asks, wiggling his eyebrows.  
Ashton laughs, “not like that...but...yeah, like that.”  
“What did you guys talk about?” Calum asks, still grinning.  
Ashton shrugs, “music, you, Luke, movies, school. Did you know that since school started they’ve watched all of the Harry Potter movies and all of the Star Wars movies?”  
“I did not. What are they watching next?”  
“High School Musical. Then Lord of the Rings.”  
Calum laughs, “We should invite them over for movies sometime.”  
“We should.”  
They finish their meals in silence after that and then Calum sits up and takes their dishes to the sink.  
“I should do homework.” Ashton says, not making any move to get up.  
“Me too.” Calum says, coming back to the couch, this time laying with his head on Ashton’s lap.  
“Shall we see what’s on tv?” Ashton asks.  
“Um, we can see what’s on Netflix, we don’t have cable.”  
“Shut up.” Ashton says, turning on the tv.  
Calum turns his head and presses a kiss to Ashton’s stomach, Ashton smiles down at him and twists his fingers gently in Calum’s curls.


	7. Woke Up in Japan

It's Friday and Calum is rushing around cleaning his and Ashton's apartment. Luke and Michael are coming over in an hour and a half so the four of them can all hang out together for the first time. He's just finished sweeping when he hears Ashton's keys jingling outside.  
“Hi babe.” He says as soon as the door is open.  
“Hey.” Ashton says, smiling and giving his boyfriend a quick kiss after dropping his bag on the floor.  
“You better pick that up, I've been cleaning nonstop for the past two hours.”  
Ashton chuckles.  
“Will do.” he says, saluting.  
Calum smiles.  
“I'm gonna jump in the shower. Try to calm down, okay? It's going to be fine and I'm sure they won't mind a bit of dust on top of the refrigerator.” Ashton says, pressing a gentle kiss to Calum's forehead.  
Calum rolls his eyes.  
“Go get ready already.”  
Once Ashton's backpack is tucked in the closet and said boyfriend is in the bathroom, Calum takes a look around the small space. It's probably cleaner than it ever has been since they moved in. He moves over to the mirror on their closet door. He thinks he looks good. He wants to make a good impression, but doesn't want to be too formal for a movie/game night. Black skinny jeans and a solid white tee was the compromise. His hair is what's bugging him. The curls are frizzy and sticking up everywhere and running his fingers through it isn’t helping. He waits for Ashton to finish showering by making sure everything is dusted (actually everything; the fridge, behind the TV, Ashton's drum set…).  
“As soon as you're dressed, you're helping me with my hair.”  
“What's wrong with your hair?” Ashton asks, turning away from the closet for a moment.  
“Everything.” Calum mutters.  
Ashton smiles. “Alright, one sec.”  
He disappears into the bathroom for a minute once he’s dressed and returns with a small bottle of hair gel. He puts a bit on his fingers and sets the bottle aside. Calum hums contentedly as Ashton begins to work it through his hair.

Michael shows up to Luke's dorm room at 9:30pm.  
“Hey babe.” He says, kissing him gently.  
“Hi. You look great.”  
“So do you.”  
“I'm not even dressed yet.”  
“You could wear sweatpants and knock their socks off.”  
“Thanks,” Luke says sarcastically, “but really, what do I wear?”  
Michael sighs and walks over to Luke's closet. He hums as he digs through, throwing out a pair of black skinny jeans and then a band tee and a nice cardigan. Luke giggles as he sees the outfit take shape, it's nearly identical to what Michael's wearing.  
“So we're going to be that couple in front of our soulmates.”  
Michael looks confused for a moment and then puts the pieces together. He chuckles.  
“Well, why not?”  
Luke shrugs and begins to change. The two fight over mirror space as they check their hair and adjust their outfits. Luke has opted for a pair of leather boots to differentiate their outfits a bit; Michael is wearing his signature tennis shoes. He also opts for a denim jacket over top.  
“Do I need concealer under my eyes? I feel like I do.” Luke asks seriously.  
Michael looks at him for a second. “You can if you want to, but you look great.”  
Luke looks in the mirror for another minute.  
“You really pull of the disheveled uni student look.” Michael says with a smile.  
“Fuck you.” Luke says, shoving him gently.  
Luke looks at his phone. “Fuck, we're going to be late. Come on.”  
Michael gives his hair one last shake and then grabs Luke's hand.  
“Let's go on a date with our soulmates.” he says, smiling and leaving a gentle kiss on Luke’s cheek.

It's 10pm exactly and Luke and Michael haven't shown up just yet. Calum is freaking out a little bit.  
“Calum, Cal, baby. It's okay. Calm down.” Ashton says grabbing Calum’s shoulders to stop his incessant pacing.  
“But...but...what if…”  
“Calum, we're just going to hang out with them. We've got snacks, we've got drinks, we've got games. You did an amazing job whipping this place into shape. Everything's gonna be fine.”  
Calum leans into Ashton and wraps him in a tight hug.  
“Thank you.”  
“Seriously though, this place looks great. They're totally gonna think we're neat freaks, may have set the bar too high.” Ashton jokes after a moment.  
“Shut up.” Calum says, smiling.  
Then they hear the apartment buzzer. Ashton pulls back from the hug and pecks Calum's lips before walking over to let them up.  
“Hi.” Michael says, as soon as the door opens, holding out a bottle of wine.  
“Hey, come on in.” Calum responds, stepping back and waving them through.  
“You didn’t need to bring anything.” Ashton says, taking the wine from Michael and setting it on the counter.  
Luke shrugs, “we wanted to.”  
They settle on the couch and armchair in their small living space and it’s a bit awkward at first. Calum triple checks that no one needs food or drinks, Luke almost elbows Calum in the face as he takes off his jacket and they all try to find a dynamic that works between them. Soon enough, Michael comments on a poster they have on the wall, which launches them into a conversation about music and then when that dies down, Ashton suggests Cards Against Humanity. Midnight comes around unexpectedly quickly and as their game wraps up, Calum grabs beers from the fridge.  
Calum and Michael decide that video games are next on the activity list, so while they take over the couch, Ashton invites Luke to come sit on his lap so they can watch their boyfriends be way too enthusiastic about a pretend football game. Michael almost feels jealous as he watches Luke melt into Ashton, but he loves how perfectly domestic it is too much to be upset.  
A couple of beers and games and experimental kisses latter, Michael and Luke decide they’d better head out.  
Luke’s smiling as he and Michael take their time walking back to the dorms, hands swinging between them.  
“Well that went well.” Michael says.  
“Yeah...yeah it really did. I like them.”  
Michael lets the night air fill in the silence as he thinks of how to say what he wants to say.  
“Do you... still feel like you want us to all be together at some point?” he finally asks.  
“I think I want it now more than ever.”  
Michael breathes out a sigh of relief. “Me too.”  
Luke giggles happily and kisses Michael’s cheek. Michael smiles and stops so he can wrap his arms around Luke’s waist and kiss him properly.  
“I love you.” Michael says, pulling away.  
“To the moon and back.” Luke replies happily, giving Michael another quick kiss before they start to walk again.

❖❖❖

It’s almost too easy how well they all get along. How well they are able to make time to see each other after the initial struggle of getting them all together. Luke and Michael end up spending a lot of time at Calum and Ashton’s apartment. Movie nights, study sessions, dinners, lunches. Michael likes to take over their tv for video games whenever he can, something that’s become a bit of a joke between the four of them. Calum and Ashton are glad to share their space, despite the fact that from time to time it feels a bit cramped. They enjoy the energy and enthusiasm that Michael brings to everything and Luke’s infectious giggle and positivity.  
They’ve found ways to all comfortably share the couch, though it was definitely not made for four people. Half of the time, Luke ends up laying across the other three, one playing with his hair, one rubbing circles into his hip, and one with an arm across his ankles.  
Ashton’s been cooking more than ever, making sure they’re all eating well and trying new recipes, most with vegetables snuck in because lord knows none of them eat enough. Michael and Luke are glad to be away from the uni cafeteria food (not that it’s that bad) and try to pitch in for groceries when they can.  
Calum and Luke are both doing much better in their biology class, helping each other study and sharing notes (though sitting next to each other in class isn’t necessarily helping either of them).  
Michael makes a point to ask Ashton his work schedule so that they can talk for a while as Michael flips through records. And they all make sure they’re there to cheer Calum on at the championship game. They don’t win, but they all have a good time and the boys take Calum out afterwards, so all's not lost.


	8. Monster Among Men

As most things tended to happen with their relationship, the subject of if they all wanted to date each other was something that came up first in twos. Of course Luke and Michael had talked about it and Calum and Ashton had talked about it, but neither couple knew if the others were interested in that sort of relationship. They all knew it could be tricky, but they also all knew that they loved each other desperately. And really, they’d pretty much been acting like they were all dating.  
Calum and Michael are playing fifa in the Cashton studio, as they’ve dubbed it. It’s a cool weekday afternoon. Calum’s football season is over, Michael doesn’t have class on Wednesdays and Luke and Ashton are in class and working, respectively.  
Calum’s been thinking about it quite a bit. He’s usually one to talk things out, be blunt, not dwell on things. It’s killing him that this is something the four have them haven’t talked about, despite only having known each other for a month or so. He hasn’t been sure how to bring it up.  
“Luke and I kissed before that first date.” he says suddenly, figuring they may as well get that out in the open if it’s not already.  
Michael freezes for a moment and then pauses their game.  
“You did?” he asks curiously.  
Calum takes it as a good sign that he doesn’t sound angry and isn’t throwing things.  
“Yeah, it was… before you’d even met Ashton.” Calum pauses to gauge Michael’s reaction, he looks curious more than anything, so Calum continues, “We were just studying and he started rambling about how he was glad we met...and, and how scared he’d been that we’d never meet or...well, you know, other fears that you have when you have three soulmate marks. So I just, I had to kiss him.”  
Michael smiles sweetly. “I’m glad you did. He gets too in his head sometimes. Worries too much.”  
Calum nods.  
“So...you’re not mad?”  
“Not at all...should I be?”  
“Uh, no. No. I’m not planning on, like, stealing him away from you. You’re both of our soulmates.”  
Michael laughs. “And you are both mine.”  
They sit in silence for a minute and then Calum realizes that they never really got to answering the question he’d meant to ask when he’d told Michael about their kiss.  
“So, I’ve been meaning to ask…”  
“Yeah?” Michael asks encouragingly, scooching ever so slightly closer to Calum.  
“What do you...what do you envision our relationship to be like ideally? Or, I mean, like the four of us being soulmates...are we friends…?”  
“Luke once said ‘I want to love them and love you. I want to be with them and with you.’” Michael says, “and, well, that’s what we both want if that’s what both you and Ashton want.”  
Calum tears up a little at how sweet and simple that sounds.  
“Can that be, like, the motto of our relationship?”  
Michael can’t help but giggle at this, “do all of your relationships have mottos?”  
Calum laughs along.

❖❖❖

“We should talk about us being soulmates and what…what, er, we want or expect or whatever.” Calum says one day when they’re all hanging out in the apartment.  
Ashton is at the table working on an essay, Michael and Luke are on the couch; Luke reading, Michael playing a video game. Calum is at the kitchen counter starting on dinner.  
Michael is the first to meet his eyes.  
“I want to date all of you.” he says bluntly to help Calum keep the conversation going.  
Afterall, he and Calum had talked and he was pretty sure that was what they all wanted.  
“Me too.” Luke says softly.  
“Can we all be boyfriends?” Ashton asks.  
They all grin at each other before Calum, Luke and Michael all triumphantly say yes at the same time. They all share a laugh as Luke and Michael make their way over to Calum and Ashton and they all share a giggly, slightly teary eyed, group hug. None of them can believe how stupidly easy it was. Calum feels like he just won the lottery. He supposes this is why they all had six letters on their wrists instead of two. Because everything feels right with his three boyfriends around.  
Calum had realizes while filling up a pot with water to boil that this is how he always wants his home to be. With three beautiful boys living their lives. With Michael shouting occasional profanities as his eyes are glued to the tv. With Luke curled up, nose deep in a book, tongue sticking out in concentration. With Ashton, his best friend, right by his side, flashing him encouraging smiles every few minutes. And with a dog. A dog would be nice.

 

❖❖❖

Later that week, they go on their first official date as boyfriends. They all dress up nice and go to a semi-nice restaurant. Luke and Michael pick up Ashton and Calum at their apartment. Calum holds the door of the restaurant open for all of them. Ashton orders them all a bottle of wine. Luke spills sauce on his white dress shirt, causing them all to laugh when he attempts to clean it off and ends up getting more sauce on it as he forgets that he’d already used the napkin. Michael gallantly uses his own to dab it off, though they all decide there’s probably no saving the shirt.  
They sit at the restaurant for nearly two hours, until they’re sure their waitress hates them. They’re still giggling as they stumble out with their arms around each other, just a little wine drunk. Calum and Ashton invite Luke and Michael back to their apartment.  
“Only if I can borrow a clean shirt.” Luke says with a smile.  
Calum closes his eyes and nearly groans and Ashton laughs because he knows his boyfriend has a thing for sharing clothes. Needless to say, it’s a yes.  
They end up watching The Breakfast Club. Luke ends up asleep by the end, head cuddled into Michael’s tummy and feet on Ashton’s lap.  
“Do you… want to sleep over?” Calum asks softly.  
“You can borrow pajamas or whatever.” Ashton adds as he turns off the tv.  
“I can take him back...I wouldn’t want to…”  
“No it’s fine. I bet we can all squeeze onto the bed, or you can take the couch.”  
“Uh, sure, yeah, that’d be great.” Michael agrees.  
Michael carries Luke over to the bed, tucking him in under the covers and then he, Ashton and Calum take turns in the bathroom.  
They end up all in the bed; Michael spooning Luke on one side of the bed, while Calum lies practically on top of Ashton on the other.


	9. Empty Wallets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for waiting so long for this chapter <3 future chapters will be up more regularly and I should have the full thing posted by the end of February!

“Luke, oh my god, how have I never seen you in these?” Michael exclaims suddenly, emerging from Luke's closet holding up a pair of leather pants.  
Luke blushes.  
“I...they're new?” He squeaks out.  
“Well, I'm not waiting any longer. You're wearing them tonight.”  
“Really, Mikey?” Luke whines.  
“Hell yeah!” Michael says enthusiastically, smiling and throwing the pants at him.  
Luke laughs, “okay, okay,” then turns back to the mirror where he's pressing glitter across his eyelids.  
“You better wear something good too.” Luke says a minute later, glancing over at where Michael is still digging in his closet.  
Michael smirks. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Alright, how do I look?” Luke asks once his makeup is done and he’s changed.  
He stands back and opens his arms to reveal the outfit Michal had picked out for him. Tight, black leather pants, a black and white silky shirt, buttoned only just up past his belly button.  
“Fuck...Lukey, baby, you look amazing,” Michael gasps, admiring the glitter reflecting around his eyes and the red on his lips and the curls Luke’s recently grown out, which he can’t help but to touch, “You are going to be the most gorgeous person there.”  
Luke feels his face heat up and looks down. Michael tips Luke’s chin up with the pad of his thumb and kisses him deeply.  
Luke moans softly and pulls at Michael’s hair as the kiss becomes more heated, eliciting a similar moan from Michael as he moves his lips down Luke’s neck.  
“Mikey, baby, Mikey. We need to leave.” Luke finally says, sounding like it’s paining him to say anything.  
Michael groans, but removes his mouth from Luke’s neck and pulls back slightly so he can look him in the eye.  
“I love you.”  
“To the moon and back.” Luke replies softly.  
Michael smiles and pecks his lips again.  
“I will never get tired of hearing you say that.”  
Luke smiles and blushes, turning to take a last look at himself in the mirror. There are angry red marks littering the right side of his neck. He looks fucked out.  
“Jesus.” he mutters, running a hand along the marks.  
Michael laughs and presses a quick kiss to his cheek.  
“Calum and Ashton won’t be able to keep their eyes off of you.”  
“And you?” Luke asks, smiling and meeting Michael’s eyes in the mirror.  
Michael grins and slips a hand in Luke’s back pocket.  
“You’re not leaving my side.” he whispers huskily into Luke’s ear.  
Luke shivers.  
“I think I can deal with that.”

❖❖❖

The club is what you’d expect on a Saturday night at 1am. Crowded, loud, and full of colorful, flashing lights. Luke isn’t someone who enjoys it frequently, but every once in a while he finds it exhilarating. He and Michael walk in hand in hand and after glancing around and not spotting Calum and Ashton, head over to the bar.  
“What are you drinking darlin’?” Michael asks, leaning in close so Luke can hear him over the pounding bass.  
Luke shrugs. “Whiskey coke?”  
Michael rolls his eyes playfully and orders as Luke texts Calum.

Calum messages back almost immediately, 'in line to get in’  
Luke smiles and shows the text to Michael.  
They stay at the bar while they wait for Calum and Ashton, Michael’s arm tightly around Luke’s waist. When they finally spot the other two come through the door, they start to wave like fools. Luckily Ashton spots them rather quickly and the two weave their way through the crowd towards them. Calum wraps Luke in a tight hug as soon as they are close enough.  
“You look great.” they tell each other at the same time, laughing as they pull apart.  
Ashton leans over to Michael, “what did you do to him before you left?”  
Michael smirks, only puffing out his chest a little bit.  
“Not enough.”  
Michael and Ashton have a brief standoff as to who’s buying drinks; Ashton says he’ll get round two.  
It’s a bit difficult to have a conversation amidst the noise, but they find a relatively quiet corner and have a good time anyway.  
After a couple drinks, Luke decides it’s time to dance and abruptly pulls away from the others.  
“Who’s coming with me?” he asks with a quick wink.  
Calum is up almost immediately, while Ashton and Michael temporarily decline.  
“Let’s give ‘em a show then.” Calum says, smirking and giving Luke’s ass a quick slap as they walk away.  
Luke giggles.  
“I’m in.”  
The two make sure they are in plain sight of Michael and Ashton, moving their hips to the beat. They’re front to front, not grinding, though they may as well be. It only takes a couple minutes for the others to join them. Michael slips behind Luke and presses against him, beginning to add a mark to the blank side of Luke’s neck.   
“You did this on purpose, didn’t you, baby boy?” Michael says into Luke’s ear.  
Luke throws his head back and loops his arms lazily around Michael’s neck, letting out a soft moan in response.  
Ashton takes his place behind Calum and runs his hands up his thighs, pressing a kiss right behind Calum’s ear. Right where he knows Calum likes it.  
They don’t all stay like that for long; the heat of the place and rhythm of their bodies making them all desperate to go somewhere else.  
As they escape into the cool, night air, some of the sexual tension is relieved; however the second any of the others take a look at Luke, it seems to come rushing back.  
“Does he always…?” Calum starts as they walk towards campus.  
Michael grins, “yeah, it takes all of two seconds to get him looking completely fucked out.”  
Ashton practically moans at this while Luke swats gently at Michael, secretly loving hearing them talk about him like this and not minding at all how fucked out he looks as they walk down the street. He’s got Mikey’s arm wrapped tightly around his waist and Calum’s hand in his and he can’t deny that he loves this.  
Luke can practically feel the sexual tension, thick as fog through the air. As Calum fiddles with getting the door of their apartment open, Ashton already has Luke pressed against the wall, tongues twisting together. His hands are gripping Luke’s hips like a vice, while Luke’s fingers tangle in Ashton’s short curls and their bodies press impossibly tighter together. Michael gulps as he watches while kissing up Calum’s neck and playing with his hair, definitely not helping in their attempt to get inside the apartment. He’s never had the pleasure of watching Luke be so completely controlled and he can’t ignore his dick’s interest in the sight before him. Luke surrendering to Ashton’s touch as if it’s the only thing in the world that matters, his back arching off the wall as his curls fall haplessly around his face.   
As soon as the door is open, Calum is dragging Ashton off of Luke and pulling him inside. Michael takes the opportunity to pull Luke inside after them and press their lips together as he kicks the door closed. He faintly registers Calum reaching out to lock it behind them from where Ashton has him pinned against the wall next to the entrance, sucking even more marks into his neck. He draws Luke’s hips to his with one hand on his ass and the other travelling up his back. Luke moans into the kiss and Michael takes it as his cue to start kissing down his neck and opening the buttons of his shirt. By the time he’s pushing Luke’s shirt off of his shoulders, they’re kissing again while Calum presses kisses down Luke’s neck and Ashton sucks a mark behind Michael’s ear.  
They manage to stumble their way over to the bed a few minutes latter. Calum has Luke pressed against the bed as he works on undoing his pants, while Ashton and Michael are on their knees next to them heatedly making out.  
Michael looks over as he hears a giggle and sees Calum struggling to pull Luke’s pants off. Michael smiles. Calum is nearly in hysterics as he pulls at a leg of the leather things, while Luke kicks in an attempt to help. Michael can’t help but laugh with them and notices Ashton do the same. Ashton presses a kiss to Calum’s cheek as he takes over for him and Michael reaches over to help with the other leg and gets accidentally kicked in the face. Luke’s face heats up as he apologizes, but Michael is simply laughing harder.  
“Serves you right for making me wear these things.” Luke says, grumpily rolling his eyes.  
“Oh, I’m still glad he did.” Calum responds as he recovers from his laughter, raking his eyes up Luke’s body suggestively.  
Luke giggles and pulls Calum into another kiss while Ashton and Michael eventually manage to get the darn things off. As soon as that’s done, Michael is rubbing his hands up Luke’s leg and Ashton is working on getting Calum’s shirt off. Michael gets himself undressed as he watches Calum press filthy kisses down Luke’s chest and Ashton struggle to get Calum’s pants off. He’d always liked porn, but he never realized how turned on he would get watching his three boyfriends.  
“Can I-can I fuck Luke?” Calum asks timidly, looking back to Michael and Ashton.  
“Please.” Luke moans out brokenly while Michael shrugs and Ashton gives a slight nod.  
Ashton finds lube and condoms and throws them on the bed next to Calum, who has settled between Luke’s legs.  
Michael watches with rapt attention as Calum slowly begins to finger Luke open. Luke is a writhing mess already; head thrown back as he moans unashamedly; his neck already bruised and lips sinfully red. Ashton is at Michael’s side, smoothing a hand down his back and leaving kisses on his shoulder, but he also seems content to watch for the time being. Michael catches Luke’s eye when he turns his head in pleasure. Luke’s cheeks stain pink as he notices Michael and Ashton watching him intensely while stroking themselves.  
“You like us watching you? Like having all our attention on you, baby?” Michael asks softly.  
Luke nods and his breathless moan is cut off as Calum’s finger presses against his prostate. Ashton lets out a groan at the sight and promptly tackles Michael into a kiss. Ashton grinds his hips down as his tongue roughly explores Michael’s mouth and his hands twist in his hair. Michael’s fingertips scrape down Ashton’s back and he hooks a leg over Ashton’s to bring him closer. They separate their lips and look over when they hear Luke moan out a “yeah, please”.  
Then Calum is lying on his back as Luke moves to straddle him.  
“Michael, I really want to fuck you.” Ashton mumbles into his ear.  
“I’ve never been fucked, but I really want you to fuck me.” Michael replies a moment later.  
“I’ll take it slow.” Ashton says reassuringly as he grabs the lube from where Calum had discarded it in the middle of the bed.  
Just then Luke lets out the most pornstar-like moan imaginable as he sinks fully onto Calum’s dick. Calum’s hands are sliding appraisingly up Luke’s sides as Luke’s hands grasp Calum’s well defined chest.  
“Fuck.” Ashton mutters, “turn over babe, yeah?”  
Michael turns over and props himself up on his knees and elbows. Ashton circles a slick finger around his hole as they watch Luke fuck himself on Calum.  
“Ready babe?” he whispers in Michael’s ear.  
Michael meets his eyes and nods, fingers already gripping the sheets tightly as he tries to relax. Ashton inches a finger into Michael and he runs his other hand down Michael’s back. He brings a hand to Michael’s achingly hard cock as he begins to move his finger in and out.  
Ashton has two fingers slowly stretching Michael open when Michael notices Calum reaching a hand up to stroke Luke’s dripping cock.  
“Don’t,” he gasps, reaching a hand out towards them, “he can come untouched.”  
Calum and Ashton both let out deep groans as he says this, while Luke keens desperately. Ashton moves the hand stroking Michael’s dick to play with his nipples, earning a satisfying moan and tenderly starts to enter a third finger.  
“Come on, baby. Show Cal how good you cum when you’re being fucked.” Michael says lowly as he sees Luke bouncing urgently on Calum.  
They both moan dramatically.  
“Are you ready, love?” Ashton asks Michael quietly.  
Michael turns his attention back to Ashton and nods.  
“Yeah.”  
Ashton slips on a condom and strokes on some lube as Luke comes all over himself and Calum. Calum’s not far behind. Ashton starts to press in to Michael as soon as they’re done. Michael’s face briefly contorts into a pained expression, but then Luke is leaning over to lick filthily into his mouth and Calum is reaching over to stroke his cock. He relaxes under all of the attention as Ashton bottoms out and stills. Michael pulls away from Luke long enough to tell Ashton to move. As soon as he does, Calum bends down to swirl his tongue around the head of Michael’s dick. Michael moans. This is heaven he briefly thinks. Having three boyfriends is the best.  
Ashton is already closer than he’d like to admit, though he’s sure Michael is right there with him seeing as he has Calum’s skilled mouth around him and he’s panting and moaning breathlessly. Luke is now trailing kisses down his neck and on his chest, occasionally making his way over to lick at one of his nipples. It’s not long before they’re both coming, nearly at the same time.  
Calum goes to grab a couple of washcloths from the bathroom as the other three lie trying to catch their breath amid kisses and breathless laughs.


	10. More

Christmas break is bittersweet for Luke. He's excited to see his family and have a break from school, but he knows he's going to miss Calum and Ashton. He's also dreading the record breaking five Christmas parties his mom is forcing him into.   
It's only day two of being home from university, but Luke is already feeling suffocated. He's spent the last day and half pretty much attached to his mother's hip. They've finished decorating the inside of the house, gone shopping for his dad's Christmas present, and made a couple of pies to bring to neighbors.  
He calls Michael. It rings several times before he finally picks up.  
“Hey, baby! How are you holding up?”  
Luke shrugs despite knowing Michael can't see him.  
“Good. Been helping Mom out nonstop.”  
Michael laughs, knowing Liz loves to have her youngest around.  
“Well, can I take you out tomorrow?”  
“I would love that.” Luke says, sounding almost relieved.  
Michael smiles on the other side of the line.  
“We could go to Magic Bean and Rocky's and then maybe we could Skype Ashton and Calum?”  
“Sounds perfect.”  
“Okay, I'll pick you up at 10.”  
Luke giggles at how simple it is. He loves how simple everything is with Michael.  
They talk for another half hour about nothing in particular; music, stuff they'd seen on the internet, a song Michael is writing about meeting Calum and Ashton.

❖❖❖

The next day Luke is up earlier than he has been in a while. 8am. He takes a nice, long shower and gets dressed in his favorite jeans and tee shirt and then he has a nice breakfast with his mom. It is truly a nice morning and Luke has decided that it's going to be a good day.  
“Mike's picking me up at 10.” He tells his mom through a mouthful of toast.  
“Oh good, what are you boys going to get up to today?”  
“Coffee, record store.” Luke says.  
“Sounds nice, I hope he's paying.” Liz says with a smile that tells him she's joking.  
He rolls his eyes, but plays along.  
“Me too.”  
Michael shows up just before ten am with a small bouquet of flowers.  
“Seriously?” Luke says as he opens the door and places a hand on his hip.  
“Now really, is that any way to greet your beautiful boyfriend who happens to have purchased you a wonderful bouquet of flowers?” Michael asks, smiling.  
Luke rolls his eyes. “You are ridiculous.”  
Then Liz pops up from behind Luke.  
“Come on in Michael, let me take those flowers I'll find a nice vase for them.”  
“Hi Mrs. Hemmings.” Michael says, hugging her and then handing her the flowers as he steps inside.  
“You don't have to call me-”  
“I know, I know.”  
Michael has been told for years to call the woman Liz, but refuses. Luke knows that secretly his mom loves it. “Such a charming young man” she used to say.  
They sit in the kitchen with Mrs. Hemmings for a few minutes before heading out. They'd had time to catch up on the drive back, but a lot had happened in their first semester of university. Michael picks a couple flowers out of the bouquet he'd brought and weaves them into Luke's curls. Luke blushes and elbows Michael when he notices, but he's smiling. That's generally how their relationship goes. Liz comments on how adorable they are together and then they decide to head out.  
The Magic Bean has been their favorite coffee shop since they were fifteen. They'd done some open mics there and it had always been a quiet, friendly place where they could talk and catch up on homework. Luke gets hot chocolate (he is convinced they serve the best kind here and will not get it anywhere else); Michael opts for a black coffee. Michael does end up paying, though Luke makes a feeble attempt to pull out his card. They find their way to their favorite table, which is miraculously empty despite the shop being somewhat busy. They mostly look up dumb jokes and pick up lines on their phones to share with one another. After their drinks are gone and they're sitting with their hands linked across the table, being “disgustingly in love” as Luke likes to say, they decide to head out. Rocky's is the obvious choice for music browsing pleasure, even though neither of them have much spending money. Still, it's another one of their favorite hometown hangouts.

❖❖❖

It's 11am on the third day of the holiday. Calum is bored to death and missing his soulmates. Michael had texted the day before to ask if he and Ashton were able to Skype around 1 that afternoon and Calum couldn't wait. He knew it was completely ridiculous, but he couldn't help it. He missed them all being together. He and Ashton worked perfectly together. They had fun together, they both kept their apartment fairly clean, they were even very compatible in bed. He knew he would happily be with Ashton for the rest of his life. Still, Luke and Michael brought something to their relationship. He loved Luke's softness, his quiet calm and goofiness. He loved Michael's fierceness. His Independence and uniqueness, but also his selflessness. He thought they all worked well together. His bluntness, Ashton's wisdom, Michael's protectiveness and Luke's pure love.  
His mom breaks into his thoughts with a knock on his bedroom door. He quickly sits up as he's been lying with his head hanging off the foot of his bed and his arm off the side.  
“Come in.” He mutters, despite the fact that Joy is already opening the door.  
“What time is Ashton coming over?” She asks.  
“Uh, I don't know. I'll give him a call.”  
“Okay, you do that. Ask if he wants to come over for lunch, I can whip something up.”  
“Okay Mom.”  
With that she steps out of the room.  
Calum immediately flops back down on his bed, but instead of blankly staring at the ceiling pulls out his phone.  
“Hey, Cal. What's up?” Ashton answers on the third ring.  
“Mom wants to know when you're coming over. Said she'd make lunch if you want.”  
“Why do you sound so depressed?” Ashton asks instead of answering Calum's question.  
Calum laughs.  
“Probably because I've been laying in bed staring at the ceiling all morning.”  
“And why, may I ask, have you been doing that?”  
Calum laughs again.  
“I'm on holiday.”  
“Alright, well I'm coming over now and we're going for a run. Tell Joy to skip lunch, I'll take you out.”  
“Okay.”  
Ashton hangs up after that. Calum supposes they're past the point in their relationship where they need to say goodbye to know a conversation is over. Sometimes Calum wishes Ashton weren’t so concise. It sometimes seemed as though once they’d figured out they were soulmates Ashton just took it for granted. They were stuck together forever so why bother with the little things. When was the last time they’d gone on a date? When was the last time he felt like Ashton truly cherished him?  
Back before Calum had gotten his marks, Ashton had treated him like a king, like he was the most precious thing in the world. Now, it almost felt like they were back to being friends. Friends who fucked sometimes when it worked in their schedules. When Luke and Michael were there practically begging for it.  
Ashton shows up 20 minutes later in gym shorts and an old cut up tank top with his signature bandana wrapped around his forehead.   
Calum is wearing pretty much the same thing. Which is predictable.  
“Come say hi to my mom, she'll be pissed if you don't.” Calum says as he opens the door.  
Ashton chuckles and pulls Calum into a tight hug.  
“Where's my hello?”  
“Where was my goodbye on the phone earlier?” Calum shoots back, despite the fact that he really isn't bothered by it. Or he’s convinced himself that he isn’t.  
Ashton chuckles and presses a kiss to Calum's cheek.  
“Alright, I deserve that. Sorry.”  
Calum wishes he could be okay with a simple sorry, he feels like he should be. It’s just a goodbye and logically he knows that Ashton didn’t mean anything by it. Deep down though, he knows sorry isn’t enough because it’s not just about a goodbye.  
After talking to Calum's mom for a few minutes, they head out. They jog their favorite route from Calum's house, which wanders through a park by a river. The fresh air and Ashton by his side almost immediately lift Calum's spirits.  
“When are they Skyping us again?” Ashton asks as they round a corner.  
Calum smiles, “one...ish.”  
“So….like one thirty?” They both laugh, already completely used to their soulmates’ tardiness.  
Surprisingly, Calum receives a call promptly at one oh five. Calum holds up his phone to signal Ashton and they come to a stop, leaning against the railing of a bridge they're crossing. They answer sweaty and out of breath.  
“Hey!” Ashton says, grinning.  
Calum smiles widely as he sees Luke and Michael's jaws nearly hit the floor. He knows why. Ashton is hot when he's working out. He doesn't think anyone pulls off sweaty and exhausted as well as he does. It's probably why they don't run together too often; he gets all hot and bothered too easily.  
Truth be told, he's surprised at how well he's keeping it together with Luke sitting curled up in an oversized tee shirt, lips looking red and kiss bitten, flowers poking out of his curls.  
“Hi.” Michael finally breathes out.  
Calum presses a kiss to Ashton's temple, just to be cheeky.  
“What have you two been up to?” He asks, obviously eyeing up Luke.  
Ashton and Michael chuckle, but Luke just lights up.  
“Michael took me to our favorite coffee shop. It's called the Magic Bean and they have literally the most delicious hot chocolate EVER. Like seriously, I don't care if you don't like hot chocolate, you have to try it!”  
“Every time I take him, he talks about that hot chocolate nonstop for a week.” Michael says fondly, smiling sweetly at his boyfriend.  
Luke shoves him gently, smiling sheepishly.  
“You'll have to take us sometime.” Ashton says, wiping sweat from his brow, “we're just out for a run. Obviously.”  
“Which I'm somewhat offended by now. Michael takes Luke out to coffee and Ashton takes me to work out?”  
They all laugh.  
“Yeah, I think I definitely lucked out with this guy.” Luke jokes.  
“Sorry baby. I did tell you we'd get lunch though.” Ashton says, wrapping his arms around Calum's waist and pulling him closer.  
Calum chuckles.  
“That's true, you got me out of my mom's cooking.”  
“Joy's cooking is delicious, what are you talking about?!” Ashton gasps.  
“Maybe when you haven't eaten it your whole life.” Calum says, rolling his eyes. There's a definite fondness underneath though.  
❖❖❖

Luke wakes up on Christmas morning feeling excited. He always has, though when he was a child it was because of gifts whereas now he was simply excited to drink eggnog and hang out with his family and stay in hisw pajamas all day. This Christmas though he is also excited because of a gift from his boyfriends that had been burning a hole through his dresser drawer since the day Michael had given it to him with the instruction to wait until Christmas morning. He jumped out of bed and padded over to his dresser. He sits on the edge of his bed as he opens the small, square box with shaking fingers. He pulls at the soft, blue ribbon and then gently tips open the lid. He feels his heart beat speed up with anticipation as he peels off the tissue paper. Lying nestled in the red paper is a simple silver cuff bracelet. On it is written ‘12.3.14’ and an infinity symbol. It takes him a moment to realize that the date is that of when they all decided they were officially dating. He sits in shocked silence for a minute, holding back the tears threatening to escape down his cheeks. Then he slowly moves to put it on. He sits in silence for another minute as he turns it every which way on his wrist.  
He glances back down at the box and sees a note.  
‘Dearest Luke,  
This bracelet is from Michael, Calum and Ashton, your soulmates forever.  
We love you so much and wanted to give you something special for our first Christmas all together. Happy Christmas!  
All our love,  
Calum, Ashton and Michael ❤️’  
Luke then grabs his phone, desperately wanting to call them, but not wanting to interrupt them if they’re with their families, sure Ashton’s siblings had gotten him up early to open presents. The first thing he sees is a notification from Michael, so he opens it before doing anything else. It’s a picture of the inside of Mikey’s arm, freshly inked with ‘to the moon’ in bold lettering, captioned with three hearts and sent at four in the morning. Luke gasps.  
Once he’s broken out of his trance staring at the tattoo, zooming in on the picture, making sure it’s real, he sends back ‘ure the best soulmate a boy could ask for love you there and back’  
Then he snaps a picture of his wrist with the bracelet and sends it to the group chat (which had recently been named ‘soulmates for lyfeeeeee’) with the caption ‘i love you all more than you will ever know. im never taking this off’  
Then he sends a follow up, ‘well maybe when i shower or whatever but yknow’  
And then, ‘happy christmas’  
A few minutes later, he gets a text from Michael in the groupchat ‘love you baby’  
Then Calum sends ‘love you forever thank you happy christmas’ with a goofy picture of him with one of the chocolates Michael and Luke had given him in his mouth, followed by another picture of him holding up the t shirt they’d gotten him that read ‘don’t fuck with me I have three boyfriends’  
A minute later, Calum texts ‘wish i could wear this to my grandmas christmas party’  
Luke laughs at that and sends ‘please dont id like a better first impression’  
Michael sends ‘same’  
Ashton texts them a few hours later, presumably having been busy with family earlier.  
‘Happy christmas, i love you all so much. Thank you for the wonderful gifts.’  
Luke smiles at just how Ashton it is.  
“Whatcha smilin’ at bro?” he hears his brother Jack ask teasingly.  
He feels himself blush as he tucks away his phone. “Nothing.”  
“Oooh, is it Mikey?” his other brother Ben asks.  
“Uh, no.” Luke says, suddenly realizing that his brothers don’t know about his other two soulmates. Well, they know about his marks, but not that he’s found them. Not that the four of them are dating. “It’s, um, Ashton.”  
His brothers look at him curiously, losing a bit of their joking smiles.  
“And who is Ashton?” Ben asks.  
“He is one of my other soulmates, one of my boyfriends.” Luke mumbles out.  
His brothers look at him in surprise for a moment before smiling.  
“Congrats, dude.” Jack says.  
“My third soulmate’s name is Calum, he’s also my boyfriend...the four of us are all soulmates…”  
“I’m glad you found them.” his dad says, effectively ending the conversation for the time being.  
Luke sees his mother smiling at him sweetly and kind of just wants to curl into a ball and roll out of the room. At least they’re being supportive, but he’s dreading the jibes coming his way for the rest of his life. As if they needed more material…

❖❖❖

The first thing Luke and Michael do once Michael’s parents have said goodbye after a quick lunch and dropped them off at their dorms, is go to Ashton and Calum’s apartment. Calum is waiting with the door open as they come up the stairs to their floor. He and Ashton are wearing the shirts they bought them for Christmas; Ashton’s reading ‘don’t fuck with my three boyfriends’.  
They exchange brief kisses as they make their way over to the living room area and spend the next hour exchanging stories of explaining their relationship to various family members. Then they decide on a movie and spend the rest of the afternoon and evening cuddled up on top of each other on the couch; Luke on Calum’s lap at one end with his legs propped up on Michael and his feet on Ashton. They’ve got three blankets spread out over them and Ashton makes hot chocolate between the first and second movies.  
Luke’s hands are wrapped around a warm mug and he’s more focused on Ashton’s intense gaze as he watches his favorite movie for probably the 100th time and Calum’s fingers circling over his hip and Michael playing with Ashton’s hair than on the movie. He doesn’t even care how short a time he’s known them. He wants to be with his soulmates for the rest of his life.


	11. Why Won't You Love Me?

Calum is feeling the pressure build as they enter their second semester of university. Soccer practices are starting soon and his classes are harder and sometimes the summer heat makes him a bit temperamental. And then, on top of that, though he loathes to admit it, is the strange and unwelcome rift growing between him and Ashton. He knows it’s mostly his fault and he knows he should just talk to Ashton about it, but he can’t stop imagining Ashton’s heartbroken face. He doesn’t want Ashton to think he doesn’t still love him. He does. He loves Ashton more than he can say. He loves their routine, but it just feels like a routine. Sometimes he feels more like they’re roommates instead of boyfriends.  
“Hey Cal.” Luke says, taking a seat next to him at the coffee shop he’s been studying at. It’s become their routine, same coffee shop, every Saturday, helping each other study. This routine still feels romantic though. They still argue over who’s paying and play footsie under the table and steal kisses when the other is looking particularly adorable or being particularly helpful.  
“What’s got you looking so down?” Luke asks, kissing Calum’s cheek.  
Calum smiles, “Nothing, just thinking.”  
Luke frowns a bit and Calum knows he isn’t entirely sold, but it must be his lucky day because he doesn’t press for answers.

❖❖❖

The next day, Calum officially decides that it isn’t routines that he hates.   
It’s Sunday morning and Ashton is wearing a horrendous pink apron (courtesy of Mali Koa), dancing around to obnoxious eighties music while flipping pancakes. Michael has a cartoon on the tv and is watching Luke and Calum try to keep up with Ashton’s moves. They’re all smiling, a little sweaty and in their boxers. Pancakes had been a Sunday routine for him and Ashton since they’d moved in together, but Luke and Michael had brought more fun into it. Dancing and cartoons and impromptu jam sessions were becoming the Sunday routine along with pancakes and sausages. It got them all pumped up before they had to spend the evening cramming.  
Calum loves a lot of their routines. Especially the ones that they’d invited Luke and Michael to be a part of. It was the simple day to day when Michael and Luke weren’t there that he felt like they were missing something. The thing that’s bothering him most is that he doesn’t know what will fix it.

❖❖❖

Monday morning Ashton wakes Calum up with a kiss, as always, and swats him into the bathroom for a quick shower before class. Calum is still in a bit of a drowsy haze when Ashton hands him a granola bar and apple for breakfast and sends him out the door with another kiss.  
“Bye, love ya.” he mumbles out.  
“Have a good day.” Ashton replies.  
Calum sits through his first class taking the bare minimum of notes, wishing he’d woken up early enough to have showered with Ashton. Maybe tomorrow he’ll actually set an alarm. And that’s when it hits him. Maybe he just needs to start doing romantic things for Ashton. Maybe Ashton felt that he was being ignored too.  
Tuesday, Calum actually does set an alarm to wake up around the time that Ashton does. It nearly scares the the shit out of Ashton when it goes off while he’s brushing his teeth and it takes Calum a good thirty seconds to find his phone and turn it off.  
“Oh my god, why did you not tell me you were setting an alarm Calum?” he asks.  
It’s at this point that Calum realizes how fucking ridiculous it is to set an alarm to blow someone and he’s not entirely sure how to tell Ashton that that's what he did.  
“I...thought it would be a good day for a morning run, care to join?” he says instead.  
Ashton looks at him strangely for a moment before shrugging and agreeing.  
Calum runs a hand over his face and sighs as he flops back down on the bed.  
He does end up sucking Ashton off when they take a post-run shower together though, so it’s not all together a waste. Plus, Calum realizes how nice it is to spend extra time with Ashton in the morning. He’s not entirely sure it’s worth the lack of sleep though. Maybe he could turn this into a once a week routine?

❖❖❖

Wednesday, Calum brings home flowers. It’s a little basic, predictable, but nice he thinks. They’re all white; some daisies and Queen Anne’s lace and a couple of roses. Ashton’s already left for work when he gets home. He goes to find something to put them in, but realizes that they don’t have any vases or cups large enough to hold them. He sighs and sets the flowers on the table before grabbing his keys and wallet and heading out to find a vase.  
When he comes back, he sets the bouquet in the center of the table (after clearing a space) and tapes a note to it. ‘Ashton- I love you most. You’re my soulmate forever.’  
He spends the evening tidying, getting some reading done and binging Netflix. He’d texted Michael and Luke to see if they wanted to come over, but Michael had a couple of guitar lessons scheduled and Luke claimed he needed a distraction-free night to finish an essay. By the time Ashton makes his way in the door, Calum is in bed. Not asleep, still scrolling on his phone, but ready for a relatively early night.  
It doesn’t take Ashton long to find the flowers as he’s filling up a glass of water. Calum watches him walk over to them out of the corner of his eye. He sees Ashton peel the note off and struggle to read it in the dim light. Then Ashton looks over at him. They haven’t spoken since Ashton came home; Ashton knows that Calum likes quiet when the lights are off and he’s in his pajamas.  
“Thank you, Cal. It means a lot.” he says quietly.  
Calum nods, getting a bit choked up because he’s not sure whether or not that’s the response he wanted or not.  
“You’re welcome.” he finally manages before plugging in his phone and turning over to his side.  
He hears Ashton shuffle around in the bathroom and get changed before feeling the bed dip as he lays down next to Calum.

❖❖❖

Thursday Calum gets off work in time to make dinner. He’s not oblivious to the fact that Ashton does most of the cooking. Really, that’s probably for the best. Still, Calum has found a recipe that claims to be very simple and looks good, so he’s taken over dinner for the day.  
“It actually doesn’t smell like it’s burning.” Ashton says as he enters the apartment with a smile.  
“Oh, shut up you. Appreciate the fact that you’ve got a night off cooking.”  
Ashton laughs as he comes over to give Calum a hello kiss.  
Calum thinks that dinner was a success. Maybe he should take up more cooking.

❖❖❖

On Friday, Calum isn’t quite sure what to do, so he calls his sister. Mali predictably answers on one of the last rings with “what do you need?”  
“Help.” Calum desperately responds.  
“Help...why?”  
“I need to do something nice for Ashton.”  
“What’s the story. Tell me everything.” she says.  
Calum sighs, of course she wouldn’t just tell him what he needed to know. Of course she knows instantly that there’s something going on. So he tells her everything about how he’d been feeling and how he’d decided to woo Ashton. She, predictably, tells him he’s being dumb and then suggests that he either take him on a date (preferably somewhere that has meaning to the two of them, though most of those places are back home) or buy him something thoughtful.  
“Thanks, Mali, you’re a lifesaver.”  
“I know. I’ll call you when I am in equally desperate need of advice.”  
“And you know I’ll be here. Love ya.”  
He continues to lie on the couch with his phone in hand thinking about what he can get Ashton for a long while. A bandana with their initials on it? Something for his drums? Jewelry? He even tries googling it, but nothing sparks his interest.  
Then Michael buzzes up to grab a book he’d left behind. As Calum watches him scramble around the dining table looking for it, he asks him what he’d gotten Luke for his birthday. Michael gives him a strange look.  
“Um, a stuffed penguin...he really likes penguins.”  
“That’s nice.” Calum says.  
He’s grateful that Michael doesn’t ask for more details.  
On Saturday, Calum still doesn’t know what to get Ashton, so he figures he’ll follow in Michael’s footsteps and finds a stuffed tiger that he thinks Ashton will like. He’s not entirely sure about it, but it seems like a nice gesture. He plops a bow on its head and leaves it on their bed for Ashton to find when he gets home.  
Ashton loves it. Like, a lot. Calum doesn’t understand why, but he thanks god for having Michael in his life.


	12. Youngblood

It's a Wednesday night. Michael and Luke are both working and Calum and Ashton are at their apartment studying. They’re sitting across from one another at the table, books and pens covering the entire surface. Ashton is contentedly typing an essay while Calum thumbs through a book making half-assed annotations. Calum groans as he sees that the next page is one huge paragraph.  
Ashton glances up.  
“I am so sick of reading.” Calum says.  
Ashton smiles.  
“It’s college.”  
Calum smiles back, though he'll admit it's not very sincere. He remembers back when he was in high school and they'd be studying together. Across his family's dining table, similar to how they are now, or squeezed next to each other at Ashton's desk in his room, bumping elbows from time to time. Back then, as soon as he's complain about his schoolwork, Ashton would stop what he was doing and ask if he wanted to get ice cream. Or watch a movie. Or go for a run. What happened to that? Now it's college, he's on a football scholarship, now they can't possibly take a break?  
He sighs and walks over to the couch, letting himself fall face down on it.  
“What's wrong?” Ashton asks.  
Of course Ashton can tell that there's something on his mind.  
“You've been distant lately.” Ashton comments.  
Calum sighs.  
“It doesn't matter.” he mumbles.  
Ashton closes his computer, obviously prepared for a Big Talk. Calum's not sure he's ready for a Big Talk, but he knows Ashton won't let it go and if he walks out things will only be more strained between them. He's usually very open about things, but for some reason he just doesn't feel like putting this out in the open. He’s scared that maybe it will become a real problem once he says it out loud because he won’t be able to simply dismiss it in his mind.  
“I just miss when you would take me out for ice cream when I didn’t feel like doing my work.”  
“Is that it? We can go for ice cream right now.”  
Calum knows that Ashton knows that’s not it.  
“No...Ash, that’s not it.” he says anyway.  
Calum sighs and lifts his head from the couch cushion, “I know you love me, Ash.”  
Ashton nods.  
“And I love you, so much. I just...I dunno, it's dumb. Sometimes I just feel like, like you don't appreciate me the way you used to? I, god, I feel like we're in marriage counseling, I just don't feel like there's... romance left in our relationship?” Calum gets quieter and more questioning as he comes to the end of his sentence, cringing a bit at his own words.  
He groans and drops his face back onto the couch. God, he feels like such a dork.  
Ashton's face drops as he says it. He looks sad, slightly confused. He looks like he feels bad, which is nice, but also Calum hates when Ashton isn't happy.  
“I just think… maybe we could go on more dates? Or-”  
“I'm sorry Cal, so sorry. I...I should have realized… I love you.”  
Calum sighs again and nods. They're both silent, not sure what to do now. It doesn't feel fixed. They both know it’s not fixed.  
“Is...is that why you’ve been doing all the nice things for me?” Ashton asks, voice barely above a whisper, which is rare for him.  
Calum frowns, he’d known he wouldn’t want to see Ashton’s reaction to this. All Ashton did was love him, he knew that. So why couldn’t his feelings catch on?  
“Yeah.” he finally responds in a whisper.

❖❖❖

The next day, Ashton gets up before Calum, which is normal, but earlier than he usually would. He throws on the first shirt he can find, at this point he has no idea if it was originally his or Calum's. They have a genral understanding that they’re cosets re now combines, much to Calum’s delight as he loves to see his boyfriends in his clothes.   
He tries to be as quiet as possible, though he's pretty confident that Calum will be asleep for at least another hour no matter what. He slips on his shoes and grabs his wallet, phone and keys. He'd been tossing and turning all night thinking about his and Calum's talk the night before. He keeps kicking himself for not realizing how Calum had been feeling. He'd thought they had the whole nonverbal communication thing worked out. He'd thought they'd settled into their perfect routine. And now he just felt like an asshole.  
As he walked down the street, he thought back to their first date. He'd been so nervous, so what if Calum was one of his soulmates? Calum still had more than a year until he got his mark (or marks) and what if Calum decided he didn't like Ashton like that? After all, his parents had been soulmates and that hadn't worked out so well in the end.  
He'd shown up at Calum's doorstep in his only button up shirt at 6pm. It was just like a scene from a movie. He'd slicked his long hair back and brought roses. Calum had answered the door with an award winning smile and a blue shirt that really set off his eyes.  
“Hi.” Ashton had said, holding out the flowers.  
He'll never forget the blush and shy smile that had appeared on Calum's face.  
They'd gone out to dinner at a semi nice restaurant and then Ashton had driven them out to a park so that they could stargaze.  
They'd laid on the grass next to each other. Calum had tried to find constellations, but Ashton was having a hard time looking at anything other than Calum. The smile on his face, his dimples, the sparkle in his beautiful brown eyes, the way his hands looked pointing up at the sky. Ashton couldn't get enough.  
He remembered Calum looking over as he'd stopped talking. They'd looked into each other's eyes for a couple minutes. It was as cheesy as it sounded. He remembered feeling like everything was right in the world. That was how Calum made him feel. Like everything was okay.  
“Hey.” Calum had whispered, turning on his side so he was even closer to Ashton.  
“Hey.” Ashton had whispered back, “you're beautiful.”  
“So are you.”  
They'd spent the next half hour making out on the grass until Ashton had forced them to get up so that he could get Calum home in time for his curfew.

Ashton is snapped out of his reminiscing as he walks in the door of a small flower shop and is greeted by a friendly young woman.  
“Hi there. Can I help you with anything?”  
“Uh, hi I'm just looking for some flowers for my, um…”  
“Girlfriend? Boyfriend? Are they first date flowers? ‘I love you' flowers? ‘I'm sorry’ flowers?”  
“The last two?” Ashton says shyly.  
“Alright sweetie, and am I working with any favorites? Any good colors?”  
“I...he likes blue?”  
“Let me put together a little bouquet for you.”  
Ashton nods awkwardly, finding the woman's excitement a bit daunting for how early in the morning it was.  
The woman toddles around the shop and makes a beautiful bunch of flowers as Ashton stands near the door awkwardly.  
“Do you like them?” she asks, presenting them to him with a hopeful smile.  
“They’re great.” Ashton says sincerely, taking out his wallet.

“Thought I’d repay you.” Ashton says with a giggle after he wakes Calum up.  
Calum smiles.  
“Thanks loser.”

❖❖❖

Luke comes over later that day when Ashton’s at work.  
Luke’s sitting on the couch when Calum plops down and throws his feet on Luke’s lap.  
“Can I talk to you? Or like ask for advice?” he asks, looking at the tv.  
“Of course. Though I’m not sure I’m the best person you can ask for advice from.” Luke says, muting the tv and looking at Calum.  
Calum smiles at Luke before tiping his back on the armrest.  
“Alright, well...I’m just gonna, like, start from the beginning and, like, feel free to tell me to shut up and stop complaining if you need to.”  
Luke pats his feet.  
“I like your voice, so even if you’re spewing bullshit, I’ll let you talk it out. Also, I love you, so if it’s important to you, then you can always talk to me about it.”  
Calum smiles.  
“Alright...well, for the last few weeks I’ve been feling like Ashton doesn’t appreciate me as much as he used to. So I finally told him and he apologized and he, like, bought me flowers, but it just feels forced. Like he’s just doing it to make me happy and I don’t know how to fix it and I feel like shit because of it.”  
“Well, it’s going to be impossible to fix overnight, but at least he’s trying.” Luke says, “And you’re soulmates, so it… it has to work out.”  
“Yeah, you’re right. It’s just… you don’t buy me flowers ever and that doesn’t bother me at all. But when Ashton doesn’t do stuff like that... I guess it just reminds me of how our relationship has changed.”  
“Does it remind you of before Michael and I?” Luke asks in a quietly after a minute.  
“Yeah...Which shouldn’t make me sad cause I absolutely love having you around and not having to wonder about my other soul marks.”  
“So what do you miss about back then, besides getting flowers? Or what does it make you think about?”  
Calum thinks for a minute, wiggling his feet on Luke’s lap.  
“So, Ashton’s like two years older than us, y’know? And I found out he had three marks like a minute after he did. I saw the CH and I asked about it and he said he thought it was me. He was so scared and unsure and I just told him I loved him. That my age and the other initials didn’t mean anything. It was a year and a half of us loving each other while he didn’t know for sure that he was my soulmate. He didn’t know for sure that I loved him the same way he loved me. I think he felt like he had to, I dunno, make me love him or something. He was the absolute best. Then I got my marks and we moved in together and we settled into a routine that didn’t include spontaneous flowers and ice cream dates and surprises. I dunno, it’s like he stopped trying to make me love him and just accepted that I did. And I feel like that should be a good thing, but...”  
“Your feelings are valid Cal. You’ve told him how you feel and that’s the first step, but maybe just look for the other ways he shows his love. I think maybe he’s just become more nuanced about it.”  
“Nuanced?”  
Luke giggles.  
“Yeah, like he wakes you up for class and makes sure you have something to eat on the way. He always makes sure you’re not dressed like a complete slob. You almost always have hickeys on you, so other people know you’re taken. Just the way he looks at you Cal, he looks at you like you could do no wrong; like you’re the most beautiful and important person in the universe.”  
Calum lets out a breath. “Wow.”  
And really, he feels like an idiot for not seeing it before. Everything he’s felt unsettled about, Ashton forcing him to do his homework and rushing him out the door for class, was Ashton showing his love. Maybe he just needed to focus on the little things every once in a while.

❖❖❖

“I think I’m over it.” Calum says during lunch the next day.  
“Over...what?” Ashton asks.  
“Over...being upset for you not being romantic and whatever. It’s stupid and I know you love me.”  
“Calum, you can’t just brush this under the table and pretend it didn’t happen. You are allowed to feel how you feel and...and I want to know... I want you to be honest with me.” Ashton says, a somewhat desperate edge creeping into his voice.  
Calum smiles.  
“Thanks, Ash, but I talked to Luke the other day and… I dunno he kind of made things make sense.”  
“Okay…Well, that’s...good I guess?”  
Calum laughs at Ashton’s uncertainty and takes his hand.  
“I love you.”  
“I love you more.”  
“I love you most.”  
“Well, do you want to go get ice cream with me when we’re done eating?”  
“I have an essay due at midnight.”  
“And when has that ever stopped you before?” Ashton asks with a smirk.  
Calum laughs. “You pass.”  
Ashton gasps at that.  
“You mean to tell me that you were testing me? Your beautiful, loving boyfriend? How could you?”  
Calum giggles. “Get over it.”  
Ashton smiles at him fondly as he takes another bite. Things really do seem to be getting better between them. Better than they’ve been in a long time. And Ashton buys Calum a plush pig when they’re out for ice cream just to pay him back for the tiger.


	13. Valentine

Ashton wakes up on February fourteenth to warm sunlight on his face and lips kissing up the back of his neck.   
“Morning, baby.” Calum whispers.  
“Happy Valentine's day.” Ashton replies in his grumbly morning voice, turning over to face him.  
“So, what’s the plan for today?” Calum asks with a grin.  
Ashton smiles sleepily, “You know very well that that is a secret.”  
Calum punches his shoulder lightly and turns to lay on his back, “You and Michael suck.”  
“Michael and I are the best boyfriends ever and you know it.” Ashton counters.  
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Calum says, rolling his eyes before leaning forward to press a kiss to Ashton’s lips.  
“Let me go brush my teeth and then we can get started on our Valentine’s day tradition.” Ashton says, wiggling his eyebrows comically and rolling out of bed.  
Calum grins once again, “I’ll be waiting.”  
“I bet you will.” Ashton says, returning his smile and winking as he saunters towards the bathroom.  
Calum’s been hard since he woke up. It always happens on Valentines day for some reason. Calum throws his underwear to the floor and starts to stroke his cock lazily as he thinks back to their first Valentines day.

They’d spent the night before together, Ashton sneaking into Calum’s room through the window at midnight. They’d made out and given each other silent handjobs before falling asleep, jokingly promising morning blow jobs for valentines day. He remembers waking up with Ashton’s lips trailing down his stomach.  
“Is this alright?” he’d whispered.  
Calum had quickly nodded, “more than.”  
He’s not convinced their blowjobs had been as silent as they’d hoped, despite the fact that his fist had been in his mouth since Ashton has given the first tentative lick to the underside of his dick.

“Who’s turn is it to go first?” Ashton asks, breaking Calum out of his thoughts as he walks out of the bathroom stark naked.  
Calum steps out of bed and drops softly to his knees in front of Ashton, licking his lips.  
“Yours.” he says, looking up at him.  
Ashton’s already half hard and his dick twitches as he looks down at Calum looking so eager. Calum drags his hands up the outside of Ashton’s thighs and kisses his hip bones. Ashton is still staring down at him with a heated gaze, making Calum groan and reach down to stroke himself a couple of times before leaning forward to lick up the underside of Ashton’s dick.  
Ashton’s hands make their way into Calum’s hair as he begins to bob his head and take more of his cock.  
“So good baby.” Ashton murmurs as he twists his fingers in Calum’s curls.  
Calum moans brokenly around Ashton’s cock, licking the precum off the tip as he pops off for a second.

❖❖❖

“Please? C’mon just tell me already!” Luke whines.   
He and Calum had been attempting to find out Ashton and Michael’s valentines day plans for the past week.   
“No way.” Michael replies, laughing.   
The other two had been frustratingly tight lipped.  
Michael and Luke have spent the morning cuddled together on Luke’s small dorm bed, sharing kisses.  
“For the last time, it’s a surprise! You’ll love it I swear.” Michael says, a smile still gracing his features, knowing Calum is giving Ashton the same puppy eyes.  
Luke groans frustratedly as he turns away. Michael wraps his arms fully around Luke’s waist and pulls him back tight against him, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.  
“Love ya.”  
“I love you too.” Luke says begrudgingly, rolling his eyes despite the smile on his face.

❖❖❖

The four boys meet up at noon and hop on a train. Ashton and Michael still haven’t said what they’re going to be doing, but by the time their stop comes around, Calum and Luke have a pretty good idea of where they’re going due to the signs posted everywhere. Ashton leads the way through the light crowd, hand gripping Calum’s tightly. Calum reaches a hand out toward Luke so that the three of them are a giggling train and Michael watches from behind with an amused smile.  
They spend the day meandering around the zoo, Michael and Ashton picking up the tab for whatever Luke and Calum want.  
There’s a room with penguins and they spend nearly half an hour there, even though it smells like rotting fish, because Luke is oohing and ahhing at every move they make and excitedly reciting facts about them and really it’s just adorable.  
There’s a path that’s decorated just for valentines day and overly crowded, but they go through it anyway because Ashton is completely entranced. Calum really doesn’t know why he was mad about Ashton not being romantic enough because he’s really the cheesiest, most romantic guy ever.  
There’s bats that are being fed and even though Calum is a little disgusted by their eating habits, they stay because Michael thinks it’ the coolest thing ever.  
And Calum just loves all of it. He loves spending time with his boyfriends. He loves seeing them happy. He loves knowing all of his soulmates. This valentines day feels incredibly special and he’s pretty sure the rest of them feel it as well.

They get pizza for dinner when they’re done at the zoo. Ashton and Michael on one side of the booth with Calum and Luke facing them. It’s relatively empty, most couples opting for fancier dining, but they’re broke college students and they all love pizza, so it’s perfect for them.  
Ashton and Michael are animatedly talking about an upcoming gig when Luke leans over toward Calum and whispers in his ear.  
“This was the worst idea ever, I’ve been so fucking turned on all day.”  
Calum laughs.   
“Ash blew me this morning, took the edge off.” he whispers back.  
Luke shoves him lightly.  
“Lucky.”  
“What are you two giggling about?” Ashton asks with a smile.  
Luke blushes.  
“Nothing.” Calum replies cheekily with a wink.

❖❖❖

Midway through a cheesy valentine’s day movie, Calum is straddling Ashton and Luke is half on Michael’s lap and half underneath him. Calum chases after Ashton’s lips as he pulls away to pull off their shirts, Luke is moaning nearly nonstop as Michael sucks hickeys onto his chest and whispers dirtily in his ear. It’s not long before they’re all in their boxers, on the bed and switching partners.  
Calum is straddling Michael on the bed while Ashton has Luke pinned underneath him next to them.  
“Luke and I, uh, have a little surprise for you both.” Calum says, slightly out of breath.  
“Oh yeah?” Ashton asks, raising an eyebrow.  
Michael moves his hands up Calum’s torso.  
Calum pulls himself off of Michael and pulls down his boxers before reaching behind himself and pulling out a dark red plug.  
“We’ve been wearing them all day, so we don’t really need prep.” Luke says quietly, face rapidly heating up.  
“Fuck.” Michael murmurs, reaching a hand down to palm at his leaking cock before reaching out for Calum and flipping him onto his back as soon as he’s back on the bed.  
Ashton reaches down to pull out Luke’s blue plug and slips three lubed fingers inside him.  
“Fuck, please, Mikey, just fuck me, been waiting all day.” Calum moans out as Michael grinds his hips down.


	14. Want You Back

Calum walks down the sidewalk towards his apartment with a hop in his step, he's humming and swinging his keys. It's been a good day; he got top marks on an essay for his history class and doesn't have any reading to do for the weekend. And then he sees Luke crouched outside his apartment building, clutching his phone tightly in one hand, face red and blotchy; clearly he's crying. Calum has no idea what's going on, but he feels his heart breaking. Luke looks so vulnerable and why didn't he go to Michael?  
Calum immediately runs over to him and crouches down next to him.  
“Lukey, baby, what's wrong?”  
Luke looks up, but doesn't seem able to speak as fresh tears fall from his eyes.  
“Okay, it's okay. We'll work it out.” Calum assures, rubbing his back, “come on. Let's go upstairs. I'll make you some tea, we can cuddle on the couch.”  
He helps Luke to his feet and they slowly make their way up to the apartment. Calum walks Luke over to the couch and finds their softest, coziest blanket for him to snuggle up with. He hasn't stopped crying and Calum is only becoming more worried as the minutes tick by. He gets a kettle on the stove and pulls out two mugs and two chamomile tea bags.  
“You okay?” He asks Luke, just because he feels like he needs to say something so that the boy knows he's still there.  
Luke shrugs. He's not crying so much now.  
Calum sends Ashton a quick text. 'hey Luke's here. he's crying. haven't been able to figure out why’  
He tries to make it not sound too worrying, but he's not sure how.  
He brings Luke his tea and sits down next to him.  
“Thank you.” Luke says quietly, sniffling.  
The tears seem to have subsided for the time being, which is good.  
“You're welcome.” Calum says, pulling his legs up on the couch and clutching his own tea with both hands.  
He sits looking at Luke, who simply sits in middle of the sofa, knees tucked up to his chest under a blanket, staring into his tea.   
“Did you want to talk about it?” Calum asks softly.  
Luke nods, but doesn't say anything. Then Ashton bursts through the door and immediately comes over and sits next to Luke.  
“Hey.” Ashton says softly.  
Calum let's out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He'd almost expected Ashton to yell or something with how he'd run into the place.  
“Hey.” Luke returns.  
There's a minute of silence and then Calum asks if Ashton would like some tea.  
“Yeah, peppermint please.” Ashton says, looking up at his boyfriend with a question in his eyes. Calum can tell he's curious about what they've talked about (which is nothing), so he shrugs.  
He sets his own mug on the coffee table and walks over to their kitchenette. Before he returns to the couch he checks his phone and sees a text from Ashton.  
‘its slow so Alex can close alone. I'll be home asap’  
They all sit on the couch in silence for a few more minutes before Luke finally speaks.  
“Michael's gone.” He manages to whisper before new tears start leaking from his eyes and a sob escapes his mouth.  
Ashton immediately wraps an arm around his shoulders and Calum lets him take the lead on this one. He's always been good at comforting people.  
“Luke, hey, what do you mean?”  
“Mikey,” he gasps out, “He...he just…” another sob cuts him off, so he pulls his phone out of his pocket and opens it, holding it out to Ashton  
Ashton reads over it a couple times, his face switching between angry, confused and sad, then hands the phone over to Calum and continues rubbing circles into Luke's back. He’s calmed down a bit already. Calum is somewhat terrified to read whatever it is on Luke's phone.   
It's a text from Michael. An absolutely devastating text from Michael.  
'Luke- I'm sorry. I had to leave. I don't know how long I'll be gone, I just need some time away to think. I'm sorry. I love you to the moon and back. Always.’  
Calum feels his heart plummeting.  
They all sit in silence for a while trying to process the message until Calum can't stand it anymore. Luke's stopped crying by now and is simply staring numbly at the wall.  
“Did he...did he ever say anything about…?”  
Luke shakes his head.  
“That's the thing,” he says after a minute, “I didn't see it coming at all. He seemed happy and ...and what if…” Luke trails off, but luckily doesn’t start crying again.”  
Calum pulls Luke closer to him.  
“You can stay with us...if you want.” Calum says.  
Luke nods, “I would really like that.”  
“You can stay as long as you need...want” Ashton confirms.  
Eventually they order pizza and then decide to go to bed. Ashton pulls out sweatpants and a tee shirt for Luke to wear and lets him have the bathroom first, letting him know he was welcome to take a bath or shower. Once Luke is in the bathroom, Calum walks over to where Ashton is pulling out pajamas for himself. He rubs a hand down his back. Ashton sighs.  
“I'm gonna step into the hallway and give him a call.” Ashton says.  
“Okay. Good luck.” Calum whispers, pressing a kiss to his cheek.  
Ashton can't help but pull Calum in for a gentle kiss.  
“I love you.” Calum whispers as their lips part.  
“I love you too.” Ashton whispers back before pulling away.  
Calum feels numb. He doesn't know what to do. How to fix this.  
Ashton steps into the hall and finds Michael's contact in his phone. He doesn't have high hopes, but he can't help but try. He's bumped to voicemail after three rings.  
“Hey Michael.” He says after the beep, sighing, “It's Ashton. Um...I'm just calling to let you know that Luke's with us at our apartment. He really misses you, he was crying all afternoon. But, uh, I don't want to guilt you into coming back. I know you have some things to work out. We all miss you and love you and we'll be here when you're ready to come back. Just….just don't stay away-” the voicemail cuts him off. He sighs as he hangs up. “...for too long.”  
He leans against the wall before pulling his phone back out of his pocket and shooting Michael a text.  
'we love you.’

❖❖❖

Michael's still not entirely sure why he's not with his soulmates. The pressure just kept building and he couldn't do it anymore. Couldn't keep pretending that he was doing well at university, couldn't keep pretending he was completely okay with how people saw their relationship. He couldn't lie anymore to the people he loved most.  
And then he'd gotten his midterm results. Straight Ds. He was failing every class. And he knew Luke was getting Bs and Calum had to keep his grades up for his football scholarship and Ashton was always studying. He didn't want to be the dumb one in the relationship. He didn't want to hold the rest of them back. He didn't know if he could face them. If he could handle their disappointed looks when he tells them he's dropped out. Dropped out not because he wants to pursue something amazing, but because he's an idiot. And he doesn’t know how to tell them he'd had to move back home after dropping out. It's been a day and already every fiber of his being is missing being with them.  
The last words of Ashton's voicemail are ringing through his head.  
“...Just don't stay away…”  
He knows it isn't fair of him not to give them any explanation, but he doesn't know how. He feels like it's not something to say over text and yet he doesn't know if he has the courage to say it to them in person. He doesn't know if he has the strength to bear their rejection or to move away from them if miraculously things were to go well.  
He sighs as he lays back in the sand. A brief gust of wind blows sand over his face. He can't bring himself to care, it just adds to his wallowing misery.  
He pulls out his phone and looks at Ashton's last message. ‘we love you’ and then at Luke's 'call me’ 'please’.  
He wonders why they aren't angrier. They should be leaving him scathing voice mails.

❖❖❖

Two days later he's laying in bed, staring blankly at the toast his mother had brought in a few minutes earlier, when he gets a text from Ashton.  
'we miss you.’   
It breaks his heart.

The next day there are messages from Luke.  
1:05pm ‘I talked to your mom’  
1:06pm 'you should talk to her’  
1:10pm 'She says you're not talking to anybody and have hardly left the house’  
1:20pm 'you can always call me, i wont be mad’  
2:03pm ‘i love you to the moon and back. i always will.’  
Michael spends the entire afternoon crying and refuses to come down to dinner.  
His mom stops in to give him a bowl of soup. He apologizes to her.


	15. Ghost of You

It's been four days since Michael had left Calum, Ashton and Luke with a mysterious text. They’d reached out to him a couple of times, but didn’t want to be too overbearing. Luke had talked to Michael’s mom the day before. She didn’t know anything except that he’d shown up four days earlier and had pretty much been locked in his room or out of the house since. She said he’d been crying a lot.  
Ashton had asked Luke if he thought it would be good to go see him, but Luke had sadly shaken his head no.  
“He’ll need time alone.” he says.  
It looks like it pains him to admit.  
Ashton had let Luke call out of work, but made sure they’d all gone to class. Whenever two of them were home they were keeping each other company on the couch.  
Calum is the only one who hasn’t reached out to Michael. He doesn’t know what to say. He feels like he doesn’t know Michael as well as Luke and Ashton. Luke obviously because he’d been best friends with Michael for years before they knew they were soulmates. Ashton because, well, they’d met first and, though they seemed like polar opposites, they had a system. A well oiled system. They both liked black coffee, so they’d share a cup. They both knew Calum and Luke’s schedules better than they themselves did, so they would take turns reminding them about classes and events. Michael liked to look at records, so he’d visit Ashton at work once a week. Ashton knew Michael liked chocolate chip pancakes best, so he’d always make a couple on Sundays. It hadn’t taken them long at all to figure each other out.  
Calum and Michael liked each other, were attracted to one another, enjoyed each other’s company. They simply hadn’t figured out how they worked together just yet.  
Now though, it’s nearly midnight and he can feel Luke trying to hold back tears. He rubs a hand down his arm, but he’s not sure how much it does. He shoots Michael a simple text.  
‘Luke’s inconsolable, just tell me what i can do to calm him down or cheer him up or whatever’  
At 1:04am Michael texts back a brownie recipe.  
Luke’s been asleep for a while now, but Calum makes note of what they need to buy for the recipe and resolves to make it while Luke is at class the next day.  
‘Thanks’ he texts back.  
He feels like he should say more, seeing as this is the first time Michael has replied since leaving. A brief thought flits through his head that Michael had replied to that text because he only really cares about Luke, but he presses it to back of his mind.  
The next day he sneaks a picture of Luke and Ashton enjoying the brownies and sends it to Michael. Predictably, there’s no response.  
He can’t help but to imagine Michael there with them, having helped make the brownies. He probably would have started a food fight...or something more sexual or, more likely, both. Michael could always turn any situation into a fun one. He was always the one who knew the perfect way to cheer them all up. He tears up at the thought and Ashton and Luke stop laughing as they look over at him. He turns away quickly. Be strong, he tells himself. He feels a hand on his shoulder, but shrugs it off as he makes his way over to the couch to try to get some reading done.

❖❖❖

It’s day six since Michael left. Calum briefly thinks about starting a tally, but he’s quite positive it won’t make any of them feel better. With Michael gone, Ashton has become the sole person responsible for making sure Calum and Luke are getting to school and work on time. Calum can tell it’s wearing on him and he feels bad. He offers to start setting an alarm, but Ashton says he likes waking them up with kisses. He starts to clean the apartment, but then Luke’s there reading a book on the couch and he can’t help but to throw his head on Luke’s lap and pull out his own book. He tries to take care of dinner more often, but one night he nearly sets the microwave on fire.  
“What are you doing?” Ashton calls out as he comes over to sort out the mess.  
Usually, he would joke about it. He knows Ashton’s not saying it because he’s mad, but today he simply drops to floor in tears. Luke and Ashton are quick to come over to him and comfort him, but they all know that missing one of their soulmates is taxing them. Ashton does a good job of handling the whole microwave situation and orders them pizza. Pizza sounds like a good idea, but then Luke starts to recite his and Michael’s usual order and kind of breaks down. It’s a rough night to say the least.

Everything feels worse without Michael. Ashton had no idea that you could miss someone so much after only having known them for a few months. He supposes it’s part of the whole soulmate thing. Still, Michael had left a hole in their relationship. He’d weaved his way so tightly into their lives that they couldn’t fully untangle him.  
There was a small pile of his school books next to the dining table. Several of his tee shirts and hoodies and even a pair of his underwear were mixed in with his and Calum’s. Ashton found himself trying to avoid Michael’s favorite foods when meal planning; hid the chocolate chips in the back of the cupboard so that he didn’t reach for them accidentally on Sundays. Frequently thoughts would pop into his head such as ‘I wonder if Michael will stop by the store today’ or ‘Michael has a lesson at four today’. He can’t get him out of his head and he can’t stand seeing Luke walk around so heartbroken and mopey all the time.

It’s a Tuesday night and none of them have anything going on except for schoolwork, so Ashton decides they should go out and try to take their minds off of everything.  
“Come on, we’re going to go have fun.” Ashton says confidently, standing up and slipping on some shoes.  
Luke gets up and starts to find some shoes as well.  
“Where?” Calum asks from the couch.  
“It’s a surprise.” Ashton says as he grabs his keys.  
Calum rolls his eyes, but gets up to join them. Ashton presses a kiss to Luke’s cheek, which makes him smile and blush a bit. Ashton loves figuring Luke out. If there’s one good thing that’s come out of all this, it’s that Luke’s been practically living with them. Ashton’s figured out that a kiss on the cheek flusters him every time. That he likes his toast a little burnt and his cereal with extra milk. He knows that Luke sleeps best when he’s cuddled between Ashton and Calum. And he knows that he is truly enamoured with Luke just as much as he is with Calum and Michael.  
He takes them out bowling. None of them have been in years and they’re all pretty awful, but they get a pitcher of beer and make each other laugh with stupid celebrations. They strike up a conversation with a group from their university the next lane over and end up going out for drinks with them when their games are done. It’s only when they’re a little tipsy and walking home draped all over each other that they all start to think about Michael. About how Michael would have loved to be there with them. About how Michael would have probably had the most ridiculous celebration dance. About how Michael should be there with them because even though it was fun just the three of them, it would have been ten times better with him there.   
We are never going to be able to go bowling again. Ashton thinks briefly. Because with Michael there it would just remind them of the time they went without him and wished he was there.  
He looks over at Luke and Calum and sees that their smiles are gone as well. He pulls them closer to him and sighs as he looks up at the moon. It’s going to be tough for a long time, but they’ll get through it. Just like they all got through having three soulmates and dating three people. They’ll get through it. Calum and Luke wrap their arms around his waist and lean their heads onto his shoulders. At least they’ve got each other.


	16. Moving Along

Michael takes a deep breath as he stands looking up at Calum and Ashton’s apartment building. He’s been in town for a couple hours, but decided to get coffee and wander around a bit so that he could try to show up when they were all at the apartment. He still has their schedules memorized, which is still a bit terrifying to him. He’d also taken the time to try to work up his nerves. Despite having had two weeks to think about it, he still has no idea what to say to them. How to apologize. How to explain why he left. How to tell them everything he wanted and needed them to know. It was bound to come out badly.  
Finally, he presses the buzzer next to their apartment number.  
“Hello?” a fuzzy voice asks, Michael’s pretty sure it’s Calum.  
“Hey, uh, it’s Mike. Can I come up?”  
There’s a pause and he’s sure Calum is telling the others.  
“Yeah, I’ll buzz you in.”

The door opens as soon as Michael lifts his fist to knock.  
He sees Luke standing there, eyes already looking teary. Luke immediately throws his arms around Michael in a tight hug, which throws him off balance and causes him to take a step back before returning the hug.  
“I missed you so goddamn much.” Luke mutters into Michael’s neck.  
Michael smiles, though he’s still nervous.  
“I missed you too. I’m sorry.” he whispers back.  
“Don’t you ever fucking leave me like that again.” Luke says, pulling away from Michael and punching his shoulder.  
Michael hangs his head. He deserves it.  
Luke’s pretty sure this is the longest he and Michael have gone without seeing each other since they met. He’s not happy about it.  
Calum and Ashton are standing behind Luke, watching them. They don’t look angry, but they don’t look happy either. Their expressions are somewhere between angry and relieved, and they’re definitely trying to look calm.  
“Hi.” Michael says carefully as Luke closes and locks the door behind them.  
“Hey.” Calum says softly, speaking for both him and Ashton.  
“Anyone want some tea?” Luke asks, making his way over to the kitchen area.  
Ashton and Calum agree and Michael nods when Luke looks at him.  
Once they all have steaming cups and are sitting in the living room area, Michael starts to talk. He’s sitting in the armchair while the other three share the couch.  
It’s silent for a couple minutes as Michael tries to figure out what to say, where to start.  
“I’m sorry.” he says finally. He supposes that’s the main reason he came back. More to apologize than to explain himself. “I’m really fucking sorry.”  
He looks up at them from where he has been staring into his tea. They all look interested.  
“Um, I don’t even know where to start really, but, uh, I dropped out of uni.”   
He notices Calum and Ashton share a look and wishes he knew what it meant. They all look surprised, though Luke not as much as the other two.  
“I, well, I wasn’t doing well in any of my classes and I really hated it. Luke knows I almost dropped out of high school.” he chuckles, “Shit, I don’t even really know how I got accepted here. I was really embarrassed to tell any of you. I thought...I thought you’d think less of me and I didn’t want to be the dumb one in the relationship and...and…” he’s crying now. He’s not sure how he still has tears left for this.  
He feels a hand on his back and looks up to see that the three of them have come over to him. Luke is kneeling in front of him and Calum and Ashton are on either side of him.  
“Michael… we would never look down on you for that. Your happiness is much more important than a fucking degree. And… we love you. You’re our soulmate.” Ashton says.  
Calum and Luke nod.  
“We love you.” Luke reiterates.  
“And you can always talk to us about anything. We won’t judge you.” Calum adds.  
This sets Michael off in another bout of tears.  
“Shhh, baby, it’s okay.” Luke says softly, rubbing his thigh.  
“That’s...that’s the thing.” Michael manages, “It wasn’t just the whole school thing that made me leave. I was so overwhelmed with how much I love you guys. I was, still am a bit, scared of loving three people so completely and entirely and it hasn’t been long since we met Calum and Ashton and...and... I don’t ever want to let any of you down.”  
They’re all crying now.  
“Michael, sweetheart, it’s okay.” Ashton murmurs tearfully.  
“Mikey, I love you just as much. Just as completely.” Luke says.  
“We’re just happy to have you back. We know that you know you messed up.” Calum says as he rubs Michael’s shoulders.  
“And we want to help you through this.” Ashton finishes.  
They’re like that for a while, crying, comforting one another, Michael apologizing once again. They all know that it can’t be completely taken care of so easily, that they will all need some time to heal after this, but for now it’s enough to just be together again.

❖❖❖

A week later, Michael is moved into Calum and Ashton’s apartment upon their insistence. Luke’s a little jealous, but it’s just until the end of the semester when they can all move in together. Michael had repeatedly asked if they were sure about sharing a studio apartment between the three of them, but it was really the only way he’d be able to stay in the same city as them and they weren’t letting him go again. Plus, as Ashton pointed out, Luke had pretty much lived with them while Michael was gone, so they were already used to sharing with a third person.  
They found a beat up dresser at a charity shop and found a spot for it next to the table, which isn’t ideal, but it’s a small apartment. They all know it’s going to take a while to get used to, but there’s also a sense of relief because it feels like they’ve passed a big trial in their relationship. If they could get through this they could get through anything, right?  
Still, they all feel a bit like they’re walking on eggshells. Michael’s been the first one up every morning, making sure Ashton and Calum and Luke (if he’s there) have breakfast and lunch if they need it. He’s been going out of his way to do nice things for them and not cause any trouble, spending a couple nights a week in Luke’s dorm room to give Ashton and Calum space. Making sure dishes are done daily and his messes were always picked up.   
Luke can tell that Michael is still scared of their rejection, even if it’s subconscious. While he appreciates it and yeah, Michael kind of owes them for running away with hardly any notice, Luke also knows that Michael is beating himself up about it way too much and it’s not good for his mental health. He’s just not sure how to intervene and thinks maybe it would be better if Ashton or Calum were to talk to him about it.  
Ashton and Calum on the other hand feel as though they need to do everything possible to show Michael that they love him and want him around. Calum invites him to play video games and lets him (forces him to) pick out what they watch regularly. Ashton bought him flowers a week after he’d moved in and always offers to buy dinner if they get takeout. They try to beat him to doing cleaning tasks, but the fact is that his schedule is significantly more open than theirs at the moment.

❖❖❖

“What are we doing tonight?” Ashton asks one evening when they’re all crammed together on the couch.  
Michael sighs and leans his head back onto Ashton’s shoulder.  
“Whatever you want, love.”  
“I think Luke’s pretty much asleep.” Calum mumbles from across the couch.  
“ ‘S okay. We can go out.” Luke mumbles sleepily.  
The other three giggle at him.  
“We don’t have to go out, maybe a card game? Or we could at least watch something more engaging.” Ashton says.  
Calum gasps.  
“You’re telling me Friends isn’t engaging enough for you?”  
Ashton laughs.  
“No it is not.”  
Michael and Luke smile at them.  
“Let’s play Uno.” Luke suggests.  
Michael gets up and makes his way over to the table and starts to clear it off. Ashton starts to look for the game, while Calum slowly sits Luke up and kisses him to wake him up more.  
Eventually they’re all sitting around the table, Luke’s feet propped up on Michael’s lap. Ashton is the first to call uno, but Calum slams down a pick up four card on his next turn. Michael ends up winning. Luke gives him a soft kiss as a prize, Calum throws his cards down in frustration and Ashton just laughs contentedly.  
“I love you guys.” Ashton says once they’ve all calmed down a little.  
The other three smile at him.  
“I love you too.” they say simultaneously.  
“We should have game nights more often.” Michael says as they clean up.  
“You’re only saying that cause you won.” Calum huffs.  
“I’m only saying that cause you look hot when you’re frustrated.” Michael retorts, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.  
Luke giggles at them while Ashton just rolls his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last two chapters will be up in the next few days! I also have a couple of bits that I wrote for this story that didn't quite make it into the final draft so let me know if you'd be interested in reading those :)


	17. Lie to Me

Calum is the most sleep deprived he’s ever been. Between extra football practices, midterms, keeping a part time job and handling a four person relationship, sleep just isn’t on the top of his priority list. Ashton and Michael have repeatedly told him he can quit his job, but it doesn’t seem fair. He’s forced himself to come to the library to catch up on some homework after class because he knows that if he goes to the apartment there will be cuddles and sleep available to tempt him. The library isn’t too busy and luckily he is able to find a spot to study pretty easily. He plops down at an empty desk on the second floor and forces himself not to simply drop his head on the desk and take a power nap. Instead, he pulls out his laptop and history of India text book. He studies in relative silence for a while, making progress on an infuriating essay that’s due in a week.  
Suddenly, there’s a shock of lilac hair sitting across from him. He smiles fondly.  
“You don’t even go here.” he says goofily, quoting their favorite bad movie night movie.  
He belatedly realizes that the comment may have been a bit rude, but Michael doesn’t seem fazed by it.  
He shrugs. “As much as reading isn’t really my thing, libraries are generally good for calming me down.”  
Michael places his head on his folded arms on the desk. Calum smiles.  
“Why do you need to calm down?” he asks softly.  
Michael just shrugs.  
“Doesn’t matter.”  
Calum gives him a minute to say more, but it doesn’t seem like Michael is in the mood to talk.  
“Well, while you’re here, would you like to write my history of India paper for me?”  
“Hell no.” Michael grumbles.  
Calum just chuckles at the predictable response. He loves how incredibly predictable Michael is, despite his outbursts and spontaneous tendencies.  
Calum tries to go back to his school work, but Michael’s just sitting there playing with his hair and it’s pretty fucking distracting.  
“What are you up to today?” Calum asks, shutting his computer.  
Michael shrugs.  
“Dunno, it’s my day off.”  
“Well, I think we should go on a proper date.” Calum decides.  
He’s been wanting to for a while; the two them never seem to have time alone.  
Michael lifts his head and smiles.  
“That sounds great.”  
“Okay.” Calum says.  
They both sit frozen for a few seconds, staring at each other dumbly. Then Calum begins to pack up his things.  
“What do you want to do?” Michael asks.  
Calum thinks about it for a couple seconds.  
“Let’s start with coffee. Definitely coffee.”  
Michael lets out a soft chuckle.  
“Sounds great.”  
They go to Calum’s favorite on campus coffee shop. Michael pays, despite Calum’s brief protest.  
They walk around campus for a while as they sip their cappuccinos. It’s beginning to get cold out again and Calum’s been trying to soak up whatever nice weather he can.   
After a stop at the music store they frequent for guitar picks and drum sticks, they stop at the record store to visit Ashton.  
“What are you two up to?” he asks with a smile as they walk in the door.  
“We are on a date.” Calum states proudly.  
Ashton pouts comically. “Without me?”  
“Don’t take it personally, Luke’s not here either.” Michael states with a giggle.  
“Well maybe I’ll have to take him out tonight.” Ashton says, crossing his arms, but grinning.  
Once they’ve skimmed through the boxes of old and new records and spent some time distracting Ashton from his job, they head out, hands clasped tightly together.  
“Well, is this date over, or shall we do something else?” Calum asks as they walk down the sidewalk, swinging their linked hands back and forth.  
“Whatever you want.” Michael says, looking at him with a smile.  
They end up heading back to the apartment and cuddling up on the couch.  
“You know we like having you here, don’t you?” Calum asks out of the blue, “And, like, you pay rent. You don’t have to be...you don’t have to do...I mean...fuck, I don’t know how to say this. I guess... Ash and I notice that you always do the dishes and clean up and stay out of the apartment a lot and we appreciate it, a lot actually, but you don’t have to always be the perfect roommate. Trust me, we’re not going to kick you out. We love you.”  
Michael hugs Calum closer to him.  
“Thank you. I love you too.”  
They sit in silence for a bit, enjoying each other’s company.  
“Just don’t start, like, being an asshole now that I’ve told you that.” Clum says with a smile.  
Michael laughs.  
“I promise I won’t.”

❖❖❖

One thing that Calum loves about having Michael living with him and Ashton is that they’ve gotten to know each other much better. He feels like he’s finally getting to know who Michael really is. It’s not just their proximity, though. All three of them can sense that Michael has let his guard down more and been visibly happier since dropping out of school. And he’s not nearly as on edge as he was when he first moved in. He sleeps in sometimes and lets Ashton handle breakfast. He lets Calum do the dishes a couple times a week and he’s no longer afraid to steal socks from one of them if he needs to, though at this point all three of their closets, as well as some of Luke’s, are completely mixed together.

Finals week is hurtling towards them and Calum has never been more grateful to have Michael around. He’s been making sure they get plenty of sleep and food and, most importantly, coffee. He’s been helping them memorize things and even gave Ashton a foot massage after a particularly stressful shift at the record store.  
It’s Sunday morning and they’re all taking a break from studies to eat Ashton’s pancakes (they’d previously found out that Michael was never to go near pancake batter), listen to music, and drink coffee. Luke, Calum and Ashton have a full day of studying ahead while Michael has a couple of lessons to teach and is taking on the weekly grocery shopping, despite Ashton’s protests.  
“What’s the study plan?” Calum asks Luke.  
“I thought Sunday breakfasts were to forget about school.” he grumbles.  
Calum smiles and rolls his eyes.  
“I’ll get back to you when your coffee is gone.”  
“Please do.”  
Michael and Ashton share fond smiles as they play footsie under the table. The next couple of weeks are going to be tough, but they know they’ll get through it. Somehow.

❖❖❖

It’s a rare night where Luke and Michael are staying in his dorm room (where Luke had been studying non stop as he claimed having the others around was too distracting). It’s two in the morning and Michael has finally coaxed Luke into bed.  
“You’re gonna do so well on your exams baby.” he whispers to Luke, hugging him closer.  
Luke turns his head to smile at him.  
“Thank you.”  
“I will say though, that I do not miss exam stress at all.”  
Luke laughs.  
“I’m really glad you’re happy.” Luke says, turning serious, “I just… I just wish you would’ve known you could have talked to me.”  
Michael sighs. He’d been expecting this conversation to come up for the last month.  
“I know. I’m sorry.”  
They lay in silence for a few minutes before Michael speaks up again.  
“I just… I know it’s not really a good excuse, but I just couldn’t imagine what you would think and ...well, you know how I get when I overthink things.”  
Luke turns to pull Michael into a full hug, tearing up.  
“I know. It’s okay. Just...just don’t do it again. I don’t know what I would do.”  
“You’d have Ash and Cal.”  
“Don’t even joke, Clifford.”  
Michael chuckles and presses a kiss to Luke’s temple.  
“I love you to the moon.”  
“And I love you there and back.”


	18. Babylon

It’s Friday night and they’ve all taken the night off work to celebrate the end of finals week. They don’t have any plans except to hang out together and not do any schoolwork. Calum is sitting on Michael’s lap with his feet on Ashton’s legs while Luke squeezes in on the other side of the couch, feet tucked underneath him and Ashton’s fingers playing gently with his curls. Though none of them say anything, they all feel completely at peace. This is it for them and it only took 7 months to work it out.  
It’s nearing eleven pm and they’re watching reruns of Criminal Minds when Calum notices Michael’s fingers trailing sensually up his torso. His breath hitches as Michael’s left hand finds one of nipples and he tips his head back onto Michael’s shoulder. Michael quickly takes the opportunity to start leaving light kisses up his neck. Calum hears a soft moan and tips his head to look over at Ashton and Luke. Ashton is nearly on top of Luke, hands curling tighter in his curls while their lips move tightly against each other. Calum then removes his feet from where they were barely balanced on Ashton's lap and moves to straddle Michael and connect their lips.  
“I love you so much, Mikey.” Calum whispers, pulling away for a moment and dropping a kiss on his forehead.  
“I love you too.” Michael replies before pushing Calum over to lie on his back where Ashton and Luke had been before they’d moved to the bed.  
They take their time making out slowly and languidly, letting their hands roam around the others body. Calum lets out a low moan as Michael’s hands find his ass and squeeze tightly.  
Eventually they get their shirts and pants off and move to the bed, where Ashton is already fingering Luke open while blowing him. Calum groans at the sight.  
“Is that what you want me to do to you?” Michael whispers in his ear.  
“Please.” Calum breathes out.  
Michael presses a searing kiss to Calum’s lips before pulling his boxers down and stealing the lube from beside Ashton’s knee. Calum gasps as he feels Michael’s tongue twist around the head of his cock. He grips the sheets tightly as he tries not to buck his hips up. He feels one of Mikey’s hands on his hip, pressing it down firmly and then his other hand, sticky with lube, making its way to his hole. Michael takes his time fingering Calum open while Ashton thrusts deeply into Luke. Calum is on the verge of tears as Michael slowly inches in a third finger and bobs his head on Calum’s achingly hard dick.  
“Please, Mikey, please just fuck me.” Calum moans, gripping Michael’s hair tightly.  
Michael pulls of with a grin and presses a filthy kiss to Calum’s lips.  
“Just because you asked so nicely, darling.”

❖❖❖

The lease is up on the Cashton studio apartment soon after exams are done and they’ve found a shabby two bedroom apartment not too far from campus for all four of them to move into. Moving is a blur of sweat and cardboard boxes and smiling kisses and trash bags. And Ashton and Calum get to meet Luke’s parents, which goes better than any of them expected really.  
When at long last they have all of the boxes and furniture piled in, they collapse onto each other on the bed.  
“I love you all so fucking much.” Michael says to the ceiling.  
The others let out breathless laughs and Ashton ruffles a hand through his hair.  
“We should unpack.” Ashton says, though he doesn’t make any move to get up.  
“Or we could not.” Luke mumbles.  
“Or we could not.” Calum repeats.  
“We’ve done enough for today.” Michael decides.  
“You’re all going to regret that in the morning when we can’t find the coffee pot.” Ashton says.  
“Ash, you’re always the first one up. You can deal with it.” Calum retorts.  
“I hate you all.”  
“But we love you.” Luke reminds him.  
“A lot.” Michael adds, pressing a kiss to Ashton’s jaw.  
Ashton just rolls his eyes and keeps carding his fingers through Michael’s hair. Michael leans into it like a cat.  
They lay there for a while before Ashton says they at least need to put sheets on the bed and find their toothbrushes. The first night in the new apartment feels like the first night of the rest of their lives. Maybe they can even get a dog now, Calum thinks. Maybe he can persuade them with really good blow jobs.


	19. Epilogue/Better Man

Four years after they all met, Calum, Luke and Ashton have all graduated university and the four of them are living in a nice two bedroom apartment. Ashton and Luke have jobs at a local recording studio. Calum is an English teacher and assistant football coach. Michael teaches guitar and walks dogs. Calum is only a little jealous of Michael’s part time job, though they do now own a precious rottweiler named Rosie.  
Calum is finishing putting the dishes away while the other three are relaxing in the living room. He’s reminded of the day so long ago when he realized that this was how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. The day they all officially became boyfriends. He thinks of the three rings he has hidden away in his school bag (he didn’t know where else in the apartment he would be able to keep them away from prying eyes). He’s been planning on taking them all out to a nice dinner and proposing on the beach afterwards, but he can’t help but think that tonight is perfect. After placing the last cup in the cupboard and checking to make sure that his boys are all still in the living room, he sneaks back to their room to pull out the rings. He has no idea how to surreptitiously carry three ring boxes, so he decides to simply forgo the boxes entirely and tucks the rings into his pocket. He glances in the mirror and takes a deep breath, but after reminding himself of how in love he is with his three idiot soulmates, he’s not too worried.  
He walks slowly into the living room stops behind the sofa, placing his hands on Luke’s shoulders. Ashton is sitting in the armchair reading a newspaper like the old man he is. Luke is scrolling through twitter on his phone. Michael is watching a show he’d recently gotten into while petting Rosie who’s between his legs.  
“So...I was just thinking about the night we officially became boyfriends.” Calum starts. The three boys almost immediately give him their attention; Luke putting down his phone, Ashton tucking the newspaper onto the coffee table and Michael muting the tv. “Tonight reminds me a lot of that night. Me in the kitchen while the three of you were relaxing.” he pauses as the all chuckle. “I knew then that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with the three of you. Mikey, you were playing a video game and swearing a lot and I remember thinking ‘I could listen to him swear at a tv every night for the rest of my life’.” Michael chuckles at this, “And, just Luke and Ashton being there, being their calm, loving selves-”  
“Okay, I get swearing and they get calm and loving?!” Michael interrupts.  
They all laugh.  
“It’s not my fault you happened to be locked into a video game that night, Michael. I also thought about how I wanted a dog-”  
“We know.” the other three say sarcastically with fond smiles.  
Calum moves over to pet their dog.  
“So...was that going anywhere?” Michael asks quietly after a minute has passed.  
Calum looks up and sees their gazes all locked onto him. He’s pretty sure they might have an idea of what’s coming.  
Calum smiles, “well, anyway, I was just thinking about how I still feel like I want to spend the rest of my life with my three soulmates and my dog.” He pauses a moment and looks at each of them individually. He pulls the rings from his pocket, “Will you all marry me?”  
Luke is the first one out of his seat, practically running the two steps over to Calum and jumping into his arms as he kisses him deeply before finally saying “yes, yes, of course yes. Which ring is mine?”  
Calum laughs breathlessly, picking out a silver band with MC CH AI engraved on the inside of it.  
He looks over to Michael, who is still sitting in his same place on the couch looking a bit stunned. He snaps out of it as soon as Calum is looking at him and holding up a black ring.  
“I love you, yes.” he whispers, standing up and pressing a gentle kiss to Calum’s lips.  
Ashton is last, standing behind Luke, waiting his turn. Calum takes the last couple steps over to him.  
“I was supposed to propose.” is the first thing Ashton says.  
“Should have done it sooner.” Calum replies, smirking.  
“Well, can I do it now?”  
“I, uh, I mean yeah…?”  
Ashton chuckles at the evident confusion in Calum’s eyes and voice.  
“I’ll be honest, I found the rings a couple weeks ago.”  
Calum punches him in the arm.  
“Goddamnit, I can’t keep anything from you guys!”  
Ashton grins.  
“Well, Michael, Luke and I thought it only fair that you should get an engagement ring too.”   
Ashton pulls a ring box out of his sweater pocket. Calum has no idea how he was so prepared.  
“Calum,” Luke says, taking his hand, “when Michael and I first talked about what we wanted to do when, or if, we ever found our other two soulmates, I said I wanted to love them and be with them just as I was with Mikey. I am so, so fortunate that not only did we find you and Ashton, but that you both love us and want us just as much as we do you.”  
Calum is full on crying at this point.  
“Ashton and you have brought so much joy to Luke and I over the past four years and I know none of us, Ashton included, could imagine our lives without you. Together we are complete.” Michael says, taking Calum’s other hand.  
Ashton drops to one knee.  
“Calum Thomas Hood, I’ve known since my 18th birthday that I wanted to love you and care for you until my dying breath, even if you didn’t love me back so completely. Will you marry us?”  
“Only if you’ll say yes to marrying me.” Calum chokes out through his tears.  
Ashton tips his head back and laughs.  
“Yes, I’ll marry you. And Luke and Michael.”  
“Yes, I will marry you, Ashton Irwin.”

 

❖❖❖

That Christmas, Ashton and Calum give Luke a shirt that says ‘don’t fuck with me I have three fiances’ and Michael a shirt that says ‘don’t fuck with my three fiances’.

❖❖❖

Five months later the four have them have a small ceremony on the beach. Just their parents, siblings, a few close friends and Ashton’s grandparents. It’s really just an exchanging of vows as there’s no way for them to legally all marry each other and none of them felt the need to go through all of the dramatics of a typical wedding. The sun is just beginning its decent. The beach has been cleared and they’re all wearing simple suits. They’re standing in a square, hands linked, in the middle of their friends and family.  
Ashton begins.  
“My darling Calum. I love you so, so much. From the first day we met I thought you were spectacular and I am so lucky that we ended up as each others soulmates. You’ve been so brave through all of this and probably the reason we all worked out so well. You’re never afraid to say what’s on your mind. I love you more than you could possibly imagine.”   
He presses a loving, but chaste kiss to Calum’s lips and then turns to Michael. They’re all already beginning to tear up.  
“Michael, I also knew you were something special from the day we met. You bought me that Queen album that I really wanted before we’d even put together that we were soulmates. It immediately showed your selflessness, generosity and spontaneity. Things you’ve brought to this relationship and have never stopped proving to me. I love you.”  
Ashton takes a breath before continuing on to Luke.  
“Luke...beautiful Luke. Our first meeting was so fun. You were buying guitar picks, I was buying drumsticks. It was really meant to be.” they all chuckle, “You are so special to all of us and I absolutely adore the heart and unconditional love that you consistently share with all of us. I love you. I love all of you more than anything and I am so proud and happy to be able to stand here today with you all. I am positive that today is going to be the best day of my life so far.”  
Then it’s Michael’s turn.  
“Luke, we’ve known each other since we were thirteen and I think I’ve loved you since we were fifteen. I was so confused and scared when I saw my marks on my eighteenth birthday and then I saw you later that day and realized you were one of my soulmates. I couldn’t do anything but hide them away from you. I am so glad I got you drunk on your eighteenth birthday because then you showed me your marks and it was like everything was okay again. All of the doubt and loneliness that had plagued me for the few months before just dissipated. I love you to the moon and back.”  
Michael nervously glances around at the people gathered. Most are sporting teary eyed smiles. He can’t help it that all of their stories are adorable.  
“Calum, I knew we would be able to love each other completely the day you sent me the text about Luke.” He sees Calum nod slightly, affirming that he knows what Michael is talking about, “it took a little bit for us to find our bearings with each other, but now I look forward to every time you throw coasters at me when I’m being an idiot. I love you oh so much.”  
“Ashton. My vows to you were the hardest to write. I think it’s because we communicate so much through looks and touches and expressions that speaking about my love for you seems foreign. You are so completely different to me and yet we fit together like puzzle pieces. I love everything about you.”  
Calum takes over next after sharing a look with Luke.  
“Ash, you are the sunshine to my moonlight. I will never forget that day I saw your soul marks and you told me I was your soulmate. I had no idea how our relationship was going to work out, but I am eternally grateful that I took that chance and so, so lucky to have the three of you in my life.” Calum pauses to brush a stray from his face. “I love you more.”  
“Luke, I had a feeling when I first met you in that horrible biology class that you were going to be someone special. I have loved seeing you grow into yourself and grow in your confidence, you are the glue that holds us all together and offer subtlety to offset my bluntness. I love you, baby. Michael, I think it’s fair to say that you and I took the longest to understand each other. I never doubted that you were my soulmate and I never doubted that we would work out, but you took a little extra effort and I am so glad that I took the time to help us find our way together. I love you.”  
Luke really doesn’t know how he’s going to get through his vows. He’s not sure why he’s going last. He’s really regretting not convincing them to let him go first.  
“I love you all so, so much,” he begins, “I was so nervous and confused when I woke up on my eighteenth birthday with three sets of initials, but I am so glad I did. I am so happy that I get to be bonded with you three beautiful people. When Michael told me that he’d been lying to me about only having one soul mark and showed me his, I couldn’t believe my luck. One night, a few months after my birthday, Michael and I talked about our other soulmates. A.I. and C.H. Michael asked me what I wanted if we were to meet you and I said ‘I want to love them and love you. I want to be with them and with you’ and my wish came true and I will be eternally grateful that Calum sat next to me in biology and that Jack introduced me to Ashton at our favorite music store. I love each of you completely, with all of my being and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

❖ The End ❖

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Tumblr @digginginyourheart :)  
> If you're looking for ~bOnuS CoNteNt~ I have some little excerpts that I'll be posting here: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1317755


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